Overlord - Lich and Vampire
by SeerKing
Summary: When Yggdrasil came to an end, Momonga and one other were transported to the new world. What will this shift bring to the tale?
1. Chapter 1

"Ains-sama!" - Regular Speech

' _Haaahh…so tiring!_ ' - Thoughts

{ _Message_ } - Telepathy

 **[The Goal of All Life is Death!]** \- Magic Spell/Skill

 **Chapter 1: Stay Behind, until The End**

YGGDRASIL. Out of all of the DMMO-RPG games available, this one game held the title of Most Popular. The selling point of the game was its flexible system. A player could select from numerous races and jobs. Combined with the numerous tools used for customisation, even down to basic programming, it was the cause of its great popularity.

Sadly, this world is coming to an end now, after twelve years…

 _Conference Room, Great Tomb of Nazarick_

Momonga, Guildmaster of the PVP/PKER Guild Ains Ooal Gown, watched sadly as Herohero, the only member of the Guild other than himself to log in and visit the Guild HQ, vanished in a flash of light as he logged out.

"…hah." he sighed. Momonga's avatar took the form of an [Elder Lich], a reanimated skeleton who specialised in using magic. Clad in diaphanous and luxurious dark purple robes and with two glowing pinpricks of red light in his eye sockets, he very much looked the part of the ruler of a Tomb as grand as Nazarick was.

The conference room he was sitting in, just to give an example, was massive, and had an enormous table in the centre embossed with the emblem of the guild and forty-two chairs arrayed around it, one for each guild member.

Suddenly, Momonga struck the table with one bony fist and growled, "Damn it! This is the Great Tomb of Nazarick that we conquered and built together! How can they abandon it so easily!? They could at least come and say goodbye like Herohero-san did!"

At the height of its power, Ains Ooal Gown had had a roster of forty-two members, all members of the Heteromorphic races. Together, they had built the Great Tomb of Nazarick until it was known as the most evil and unconquerable dungeon in all of YGGDRASIL. Sadly, thirty-seven out of the forty-two members had quit, and even the four members who had stayed on with Momonga hadn't logged on often, leaving it almost entirely up to the Guildmaster to maintain the Guild HQ by obsessively hunting down monsters for gold.

After a moment, Momonga relaxed, leaned back into his chair and muttered sadly, "No…it's no surprise that they chose reality over Nazarick. It's the logical choice, after all…"

A shimmer at one of the seats drew Momonga's attention and he perked up as one of his guild members logged in, one he was very familiar with.

"Grandia-san!" he greeted his guildmate warmly.

"Momonga-san…it really has been far too long since I've been in Nazarick." Grandia Bloodragon replied with a nod.

Out of all of the members of Ains Ooal Gown, there were only a few female players, Grandia being one of them. Her avatar was a [Vampire] and a very powerful one. Similar to how Momonga himself had access to the rare and powerful [Eclipse] Job Class, Grandia was the supreme class of vampires, the almost mythical [High Daywalker] Racial Class, which surpassed even the [True Vampire] class in terms of power and ability.

Out of the thousands of players, only a fraction ever played with Heteromorphic Races, and the number of those players that chose to play as the [Vampire] race was less than seventy. Grandia was one of only three [High Daywalkers] to have ever existed in YGGDRASIL and the only one is Ains Ooal Gown, the others being members of other Heteromorphic-only guilds.

An unspoken rule in the game was that PKing Heteromorphic Race players was perfectly alright, as there was no penalty for Humans, Dwarves, Elves or even Demi-Human races for PKing the Heteromorphic Races. It was this that had prompted the birth of first the Original Nine Guild, which later became Ains Ooal Gown.

"Has anyone else shown up, Momonga-san?" the vampiress asked. Clad in light black armour sculpted to have screaming tortured faces on its surface, a gleaming diadem on her head and a pair of elegant rapiers on her hips, Grandia was the picture of a vampire warrior. The shoulder length silver hair, pale skin and ruby-red snakelike eyes declared her race proudly.

"Only Herohero-san, aside from yourself." Momonga replied sadly, "You just missed him. He sounded exhausted, so it was nice of him to take the time to come and say goodbye."

"I see…" Grandia sighed, "I met Touch-Me-san IRL the other day. He said he'd try to make it in, but if he hasn't arrived yet, I'd say he's been unavoidably held up thanks to work."

"It's nice to know that Touch-Me-san at least tried." the Guildmaster said with a nod, "I was about to head down to the Throne Room to spend the last few minutes left before the servers shut down there. Care to join me?"

"That sounds nice. I'll gladly accompany you." Grandia nodded and stood up. She reached into her inventory, drew out a long black cloak and threw it over her shoulders, completing her set of [Divine-Class] and [Artefact-Class] equipment.

Momonga also stood and walked over to an alcove in the wall behind his seat. Within it floated a baroque golden staff that looked vaguely like a caduceus at first glance. Mounted at the top was a bowl with seven snake heads peering out at different intervals. Clutched in each of their mouths was a set of orbs, each a different colour.

"The [Staff of Ains Ooal Gown]…" Momonga said softly, "We all played so recklessly in order to make this."

"I remember a lot of the guild members fought with their wives and fought used their paid vacations while we were collecting the materials in order to make it." Grandia reminisced as she came to stand next to him.

Slowly, Momonga reached out with a single skeletal hand and removed the Guild Weapon from its alcove. As the Guildmaster, only he could equip it, as Guild Weapons were a status symbol of their guild.

"Let us go Grandia-san…as well as you, the testament to the existence of our guild." he said after a moment gazing at the staff.

As the two members of Ains Ooal Gown strode towards the door leading to the Ninth Floor, they recalled the glory days of their guild.

In order to join Ains Ooal Gown, there were three conditions that you had to fulfil. First, your avatar had to be one of the Heteromorphic Races. Second, you had to be a functioning member of society. You couldn't be a NEET or a _Hikikomori_ ; you had to have a job and a life outside of your bedroom.

The third rule was that a majority of the current members of Ains Ooal Gown had to vote to allow you entry. Often this was redundant, as most players who played with inhuman avatars knew each other, but every so often someone who caused conflicts came along and they were politely refused.

At the bottom of the stairs, Momonga and Grandia found a distinguished looking man in an impeccable butler's outfit and several women in armoured maid outfits standing ready.

"The Combat Maids of the Pleiades…huh." Momonga chuckled ruefully, "Even although we had you guard the Conference Room Doors, no one ever made it this far."

A very true fact. The closest any play had gotten to the Ninth Floor was when an alliance of guilds, numbering 1500 or more including mercenary NPC's, invaded the Great Tomb of Nazarick. They made it all the way to the last line of defence, the Eighth Floor, only to be halted by the Guardian of the Eighth Floor, Victim.

"This NPC…Touch-Me-san made him, right?" Momonga murmured as he opened the status screen for the butler, "Sebas Tian? Touch-Me-san always did like that kind of wordplay…Grandia-san, do you think the rest of the guild would mind me doing as I pleased just for today?"

Grandia sent him a smiley J and said, "I think so, under the circumstances. Go ahead."

The one thing about YGGDRASIL that was disappointing was that the technology, when it had been created anyway, hadn't been advanced enough to render the constant changes in expression that the face entailed, so players usually typed out a smiley to act as a replacement. It was still inconvenient.

Nodding at his friend gratefully, Momonga turned back to Sebas and the maids and ordered, " **[Follow]**!"

So, as the two guild members walked on, the butler and combat maids followed their master and mistress towards the Throne Room.

One of two critical locations needed to destroy or capture a Guild HQ in YGGDRASIL, the Throne Room was usually considered the most expendable. Following that premise, only the Guardian Overseer protected it.

That wasn't to say that the way to the Throne Room was unprotected. Automatic traps, golem guardians and the like would attack any avatar without one of the [Rings of Ains Ooal Gown] on the way to the room.

The doors to the Throne Room, carved with a relief of a battling angel and demon, swung open at Momonga's touch, leaving Grandia to gasp in awe at the interior.

A grand room, the throne room was lined with marble, decorated with flags bearing the forty-two emblems of the guild's members and a set of diamond chandeliers that cast a menacing purple light to illuminate the room.

"I've never actually been in here before…" the vampiress breathed, "Herohero-san and the others really did well designing it!"

At the opposite end of the room to them was a majestic throne on a raised dais, and next to it stood a woman wearing a white dress. Long raven-coloured hair cascaded down her back, a pair of ivory-coloured horns emerged from the sides of her head and a pair of black feathered wings came from the small of her back.

This was Albedo, a Succubus and Overseer of the Nine Floor Guardians.

As Momonga reached the dais, he stopped and muttered, "What was the command again? Ah, yes. **[Stand-By]**!"

With a bow, Sebas and the maids walked over to the side and stood awaiting further orders. Momonga then ascended to the Throne itself and sat on it, while Grandia used the spell **[Create Greater Item]** to make a throne built of human bones, one step down from Momonga in deference to his status as Guildmaster, and then sitting in it.

Strictly speaking, Grandia wasn't a Magic Caster, not a proper one. She had the Job Class [Armoured Mage], which allowed her some access to spells, but not a lot of them. She mostly used it to have access to a few utility spells such as **[Message]** , **[Create Item]** , **[Create Greater Item]** , **[Life Essence]** , **[Mana Essence]** and **[Fly]** , in addition to the passive Class Skill **[Mid-Tier Armour Wearing]** , which allowed her to wear light and medium armour and cast spells without any penalty.

"What were Albedo's settings again?" Momonga mused before bringing the settings page up and recoiling, "Gah! So long!"

"It was Tabula Smaragdina-san the Settings Maniac who created her, so it isn't much of a surprise, Momonga-san." Grandia snorted in amusement.

Tabula had created not only Albedo, but her two 'sisters' Nigredo and Rubedo as well. All three of them were among the strongest NPC's in all of Nazarick, which was a testament to Tabula's skill at character creation, but he was **really** obsessed with writing long settings with finicky details in small print.

"Eh? What the…?"Momonga said as he reached the end of Albedo's settings, "Grandia-san, listen to what Tabula-san did to poor Albedo! ' _She is a great beauty on the outside, but on the inside, she is a slutty woman._ '"

"What?!" Grandia said in shock.

"Tabula-san always was fond of gap-moe." the Elder Lich sighed, "But no matter how you look at it, this is too much."

"Agreed." the vampiress growled, "Should I fetch an [Editing Tool]?"

"Nah. Thanks to the [Staff of Ains Ooal Gown], I can edit any NPC in Nazarick." Momonga replied. He pointed the staff at the settings screen, which went into Administrator Mode and made a keyboard appear. Erasing the offending line about Albedo being slutty, Momonga hesitated before adding a couple more lines and closing the settings window.

"What did you add?" Grandia asked suspiciously.

"…it's embarrassing, but…' _She's in love with Momonga and sees Grandia as a big sister._ '" the Guildmaster admitted.

"Oi…" Grandia shook her head, "If this weren't the last day, I'd punch you, Momonga-san."

"Let's see…" Momonga chose to ignore that as he looked at Albedo, Sebas and the Pleiades, "Ah, right… **[Bow Down]**!"

He waved a hand at the NPC's and they went down on one knee facing the two members or Ains Ooal Gown as the seconds ticked away, drawing inexorably closer to the end.

"Haaaaah…I have to be up in four hours, so I guess I should head to bed as soon as the server shuts down." the Elder Lich sighed, "What about you, Grandia-san?"

"I got laid off the other day." the vampiress admitted sourly, "Cutbacks, apparently. At least that's what the corporate weanie who told me about it said. This damn recession is heading towards becoming a depression, so a new job is going to be tough to get."

Momonga, his real name Suzuki Satoru, had to wince at that. "I'm sorry to hear about that. I can put a good word in for you at the company I work at, if you'd like?"

"Thank you, Momonga-san. That would be a great help." Grandia said gratefully. She told him her real name, Satou Nayuta, and her contact number IRL.

"Only a minute left." she remarked as she sat back on her throne of bones.

"Yeah…" Momonga said sadly, "It really was fun, wasn't it?"

"It was…truly…" Grandia said softly, "I hope they create a sequel game…YGGDRASIL 2 or something…I'll be back for that…"

"Me too." Momonga agreed, Me too…"

All that was left after that was waiting for the last seconds to tick down and for the auto logoff to occur when the server was shut down.

 _11:59:59..._

 _00:00:00..._

 _00:00:00..._

 **OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

 **Next Chapter: New World, Old Faces**

 **OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**


	2. Chapter 2

"Ains-sama!" - Regular Speech

' _Haaahh_ _…_ _so tiring!_ ' - Thoughts

{ _Message_ } - Telepathy

 **[The Goal of All Life is Death!]** \- Magic Spell/Skill

 **Chapter 2: New World, Old Faces**

 _00:00:01_

 _00:00:02_

 _00:00:03_

 _00:00:04..._

"Huh?" Momonga said…but it wasn't his voice. It was deeper, more commanding and older.

"Did the GM's decide to leave the servers on a little longer?" Grandia mused aloud, then stopped in shock. Her voice had changed! It was huskier, more throaty, than it had been!

Now she was alert, she couldn't see her HUD. No map, no clock, no icons…nothing.

Momonga swiped in the air, attempting to open his console…but nothing happened. "Grandia-san, can you use your console? Or use chat or contact the GM?"

Grandia tried everything. "No, I cannot. What is going on, Momonga-san?"

"Grandia-sama? Momonga-sama?" a voice said and both Players looked in shock at Albedo, the one who had just spoken.

' _Impossible! Albedo is just an NPC!_ ' Grandia thought in shock, ' _She isn't capable of speech outside of her opening cinematic, and I know that Tabula Smaragdina-san never used my name or Momonga-san's name in that!_ '

She exchanged a startled look with Momonga…or what she could consider to be a startled look from Momonga, since he was without any flesh or muscles to make such an expression. And characters in YGGDRASIL couldn't make facial expressions anyway.

Albedo stood up and approached them with a concerned look in her agate-coloured eyes. "Is there any problems, Momonga-sama?"

Grandia noticed the red pinpricks of light that served as Momonga's eyes drifting towards the succubus' décolletage and resisted the impulse to roll her eyes. Men.

"We cannot use the GM Call function." She stated for him.

"Forgive my ignorance, Grandia-sama, Momonga-sama." the raven-haired NPC replied with a small bow, "Sadly, I have no knowledge of what this 'GM Call' you speak of is. If you will forgive this lapse, I will be forever in your debt."

' _Her mouth…is moving?!_ ' Momonga thought in shock, ' _The graphics engine for YGGDRASIL is good, but not good enough for such delicate and precise movements as facial expressions! That's why people convey facial expressions via emoticons in lieu of that!_ '

' _Is this some kind of error or bug?_ ' Grandia thought in confusion, ' _A last-minute event to say farewell to YGGDRASIL? No…it can't be…_ '

After Momonga confirmed that the [Staff of Ains Ooal Gown] functioned pretty much like it had in the game, he decided to try issuing orders to an NPC…not Albedo.

"Sebas!" he said.

"Yes, Momonga-sama?" the distinguished man said.

After hesitating for a moment, Momonga continued, "Sebas, reconnoitre the area around the Great Tomb of Nazarick and confirm the surroundings around us."

"Orders understood, Momonga-sama." the butler said as he stood up.

"Pleiades Battle Maids." Grandia added, "Go the 9th Floor and guard it from possible intruders."

"By your command, Grandia-sama." Yuri Alpha, the leader of the Pleiades Battle Maids said with a bow before she led her troops out of the Throne Room, followed by Sebas.

' _So the NPC's respond to commands from Grandia and myself that aren't in the command list?_ ' Momonga thought in confusion, ' _This really does not make sense!_ '

"Momonga-san, we should see if the Floor Guardians respond to our commands also." Grandia leaned in and muttered to him.

"Good idea." he muttered back before raising his voice, "Albedo. Gather all of the Floor Guardians except for the Guardians of the Fourth and Eighth Floors at the arena on the Sixth Floor, one hour from now."

The ravenette bowed submissively. "Understood. I shall go and inform them of the meeting immediately. However, I am unable to meet with the Wandering Guardian. Only the holder of a [Ring of Ains Ooal Gown] can enter her sanctum."

"I shall handle her myself, Albedo." Grandia informed her, "Focus on the rest."

"By your command." Albedo bowed once more, turned around and started strutting across the floor, an extra sway in her step.

As the white-clad succubus left the room and the doors clanked shut behind her, Momonga put one bony hand on his face and groaned. "Tabula-san…I am so sorry. I dirtied your precious NPC!"

"Divine punishment, I would suppose." the vampiress said tartly, "Now what in hell's name is going on here?! We obviously aren't in YGGDRASIL anymore."

"I…I had guessed that, but…" Momonga sounded worried, "If our minds have been directly connected to our YGGDRASIL Avatars permanently and the entirety of the Great Tomb of Nazarick isn't in Niflheim…I don't know where we could be."

"Well, we are getting far more sensory input and output than YGGDRASIL should allow us." Grandia stated, "My sight is incredible and my senses of smell and hearing are also incredible. I feel…thirsty…as well. What about you, Momonga-san?"

"I cannot feel emotions with any degree of strength. When they do appear, they are quickly suppressed by my nature as a Lich." the Overlord of Death replied, "My…libido…seems to be resistant in that regard."

"Men." Grandia muttered, shaking her head slowly, "You'd better head down to the 6th Floor to meet Aura and Mare."

"Bukubukuchagama-san's Dark Elf twins…" Momonga said reminiscently, "I'll experiment with my spells in the arena as well. Might as well test out the [Staff] as well."

"Good idea." Grandia nodded, "I'll be down some time before the meeting so I can test out my combat skills, so if you can, save the [Staff of Ains Ooal Gown's] **[Summon Primal Earth Elemental]** ability for today for my use."

"Of course." Momonga nodded. Between his magic (if it worked), the power of the staff (again, if it worked) and Grandia's physical prowess, they would be able to at least hold their own if any of the NPC's tried to revolt or anything. That scenario was unpleasant to consider, although the reactions of Albedo, Sebas and the Pleiades indicated it was unlikely.

Still, better safe rather than sorry.

"Let us go then." Momonga said.

Grandia nodded and the two remaining members of [Ains Ooal Gown] used their [Rings of Ains Ooal Gown] to teleport to their destinations.

 **OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

 _Later_

 _Amphitheatre, 6_ _th_ _Floor, Great Tomb of Nazarick_

Momonga watched analytically as the Floor Guardians of the 6th Floor, Aura Bella Fiore and Mare Bello Fiore, fought against his summoned [Primal Fire Elemental] with ease. The Dark Elf twins were both Level 100, the highest level possible in YGGDRASIL and worked very well together.

Aura, a spunky girl dressed in masculine clothing and with her left eye pale purple and her right eye a vibrant green, was a beast tamer who wielded a whip with great skill. She had no ability to use magic, however.

Mare, her shy twin younger brother, was dressed in female clothing and his eyes were the opposite of his elder sister's. He was a Druid, a nature spell caster of great strength. Working together, the two had fended off almost every attacker who made it to the end of the 6th Floor with as much ease as they were handling their current opponent.

' _Certainly, Bukubukuchagama-san did an excellent job creating them._ ' Momonga thought, ' _The meeting will start soon, and Sebas is on his way back. I wonder where Grandia-san is? Ah, she's probably catching up with the Wandering Guardian. After all, she did create the Shadow Star Sisterhood._ '

The Wandering Guardian, as that particular Floor Guardian was known as, was the most powerful member of the Shadow Star Sisterhood. She earned the name by the fact that the SSS moved the location of their HQ to any floor of Nazarick aside from the 10th and 8th Floors. That is to say, the HQ moved at random.

They had been Grandia Bloodragon's creation, created from the reward crystals that she herself had gathered over the course of three months of hunting. She had persuaded the majority of the guild to support her plan for the SSS by pointing out that mysterious warriors attacking from the shadows was something that 'evil monsters' (as the Heteromorphic races were seen as by the human and half-human races) would do.

His attention was drawn from the past when the [Primal Fire Elemental] was destroyed by the twins. He had to admit to being impressed. The fire spirit had been in the upper-eighties level and was ferocious on the attack, yet the two had handled the fire spirit with ease.

The upside of this last fifty minutes was that he confirmed that it was relatively easy to use magic. All one had to do was focus and you could 'feel' what spells you had access to and how much MP you had left. Using the [Staff of Ains Ooal Gown] was even easier, especially with its auto-attack system. If anything attacked him, it would lash out at that thing with prejudice unless he specifically throttled it.

"Both of you did very well." he congratulated the twins as they ran over to him, exultant at their victory.

"Thank you very much!" Aura grinned, "It has been a long while since we've exercised this much!"

"Hmm…you're probably thirsty." the Overlord muttered. He reached into the air, his hand disappearing into black darkness. When he pulled it out again, he held two glass chalices, which were given to the twins. He then pulled out an expensive looking porcelain jug and poured some water into each of their cups.

"M-Momonga-sama!" Aura protested weakly, "We have water magic! We can't just use your personal ration!"

"Nonsense, I am undead, thus having no need for water." Momonga said dismissively, "Drink up."

Once the twins had finished their drinks, it didn't take long for the Floor Guardians to start showing up. First to arrive was the Guardian of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Floors, Shalltear Bloodfallen, a [True Vampire], created by Peroroncino, the younger brother of Bukubukuchagama.

Wearing a burgundy dress with a matching umbrella, her disguised form, barely taller than the short Aura, looked very cute and adorable, whereas her true form resembled a lamprey.

Momonga was taken aback to discover that Shalltear was in love with him also. He recalled that one of the fetishes that Peroroncino had given her was necrophilia…great.

Next to arrive was Cocytus, the Guardian of the 5th Floor. He was a [Vermin Lord] and was the most physically imposing of the Floor Guardians. Created by Bujin Takemikazuchi, he was the weapons master of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, able to wield over twenty-one weapons with his four arms. He was truly the epitome of the concept 'warrior.'

Albedo showed up next with the Guardian of the 7th Floor, Demiurge. He was a [Demon] who was the commander of the NPC's if Nazarick was attacked. His creator, Ulbert Alain Odle, had been obsessed with the concept of 'evil' and had made Demiurge to personify his views on the matter. Wearing an orange suit and glasses, with his grey armoured tail waving lazily behind him, he looked elegant rather than evil, but was in fact a sadist and extremely cruel being beneath his façade.

"Has the Wandering Guardian not appeared, Momonga-sama?" Albedo asked.

"Not as of yet." Momonga replied, "I daresay she is rejoicing in being reunited with her creator."

"Grandia-sama is here?" Shalltear asked with a hopeful look. As a [True Vampire], she was bound to serve any [High Daywalker] vampires, at least according to the [True Vampire] flavour text.

"Indeed." Momonga nodded, "She went to fetch the Wandering Guardian an hour ago and has not yet returned."

Just then, a large purple opening appeared behind the Guardians. From it emerged Grandia Bloodragon with another figure about the same height as Albedo at her side. Her robes, a kunoichi top and hakama, were midnight blue and you could just see some black chain mail beneath it. A long black scarf was wrapped around her neck twice and still draped down to the back of her knees, while her head was graced with a spiked forehead protector with the kanji for shinobi engraved on it. Her forearms were encased in a pair of crimson fingerless gauntlets while her lower legs were clad in a pair of light green greaves with a Mitsudome symbol emblazoned on the knees. The hilts of a pair of swords were visible over her shoulders and a furry tail and set of ears showed that she was a [Kobold].

"Momonga-san, my apologies for being late." Grandia said with a small bow, "My little ones were very excited to have me with them once again and it took me some time to calm them down. Allow me to present my greatest creation, Exia Shadowhound, the Wandering Guardian."

"Momonga-sama." Exia bowed deeply, her ears twitching excitably, "It is an honour to meet you at last."

"Indeed." the Lich nodded.

Grandia leapt over to stand nest to Momonga and Albedo took her place at the front of the group of Floor Guardians.

"Well then everyone." she said, "Now give to our Supreme Beings the oath of loyalty!"

"The Guardian of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Floors, Shalltear Bloodfallen." the vampiress knelt with one hand over her heart, "I bow before the Supreme Ones."

"The Guardian of the Fifth Floor, Cocytus." the armoured insect warrior stated as he knelt, laying his spear to the floor in respect, "I bow before the Supreme Ones!"

"The Guardian of the 6th Floor, Aura Bella Fiore…"

"…a-also the Guardian of the 6th Floor, Mare Bello Fiore…"

"…We bow before the Supreme Ones!" the twins said as they knelt.

"The Guardian of the 7th Floor, Demiurge." the demon said smoothly as he knelt, "I bow before the Supreme Ones."

"Wandering Guardian and the Leader of the Shadow Star Sisterhood, Exia Shadowhound." the shinobi said as she knelt and bowed her head, "I bow before the Supreme Ones!"

"Supervisor of the Floor Guardians, Albedo." the ravenette stated as she knelt, "Aside from the Guardian of the 4th Floor, Gargantua, and the Guardian of the 8th Floor, Victim, all of the Guardians have gathered to bow before you. Oh Supreme Beings, bestow upon us your divine orders. We offer our complete loyalty to you!"

' _That's a relief. Looks like their loyalty isn't in doubt._ ' Momonga thought before saying gruffly, "Raise your heads. I thank you all for gathering here."

"Your thanks is wasted upon us. We here have all have pledged ourselves to you!" Albedo replied, a blush readily apparent on her face, "Momonga-sama, Grandia-sama, you may find us lacking. However, we vow to work hard and live up to the expectations of the Supreme Beings who created us."

"This we vow to you!" all of the Guardians chorused.

Grandia smiled at the devotion that the Guardians were displaying. They were just like children, eager to please a favourite parent.

"Wonderful!" Momonga boomed, "Floor Guardians, I have no doubts that you will be able to be able to fulfil your duties without fail. What say you, Grandia-san?"

"I agree." the [High Daywalker] said with a nod, "I am very much impressed by your devotion, Floor Guardians. You do your creators proud."

The beatific looks on the faces of the NPC's was a pleasure to see.

"Hm. Moving on then." the Ruler of Death said, "The Great Tomb of Nazarick has been caught up in an unknown situation. Sebas, give the rest of the Guardians your report."

"Hai, Momonga-sama." Sebas Tian said as he walked out of the shadow of one of the pillars, his butler's suit looking utterly unwrinkled, "The Great Tomb of Nazarick is no longer in a swamp. We are now in the centre of a vast grassland."

"…grassland?" confusion was in Momonga's voice, "I see…any signs of life?"

Sebas shook his head. "I could not detect any signs of human or monster life signs within one kilometre of the entrance to the Tomb, Momonga-sama. Nor are there any buildings, ruined or otherwise, within that same distance."

"Good work, Sebas." Grandia said, "This is something I find highly alarming, however. To transport not only the residents of Nazarick, but all ten floors of the Tomb itself, completely intact and without breeching our wards would take more MP than every single member of [Ains Ooal Gown] put together."

"Hmmm…an excellent point." Momonga nodded, "Did any of you detect anything unusual approximately an hour ago?"

A chorus of negatives came back at him.

"Unfortunate…" Momonga muttered, "So, someone has transported us to this unknown land for some unknown reason…Guardian Supervisor Albedo and Defensive Leader Demiurge!"

"Hai!" the two named NPC's responded.

"Increase our defences and improve the information sharing system!" the Overlord of Death ordered, "Whoever teleported us here cannot be assumed to be benign, so we must step up our precautions."

"Your will shall be done, Momonga-sama!" Demiurge replied.

"Exia." Grandia stated.

"Hai, Grandia-sama!" the Kobold Kunoichi said, ears perked up and tail still.

"The members of the Shadow Star Sisterhood's [1st Star] are to engage in random patrols of the surroundings of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, keeping from sight at all times." the vampiress ordered, "Any who discover interlopers are to **[Message]** either myself, Momonga-san, Albedo or Demiurge."

"Hai!"

"Will they be able to remain concealed, Grandia-sama?" Demiurge asked.

"The [1st Star] are composed of the best troops that use stealth skills and equipment in the Sisterhood, Demiurge." Grandia replied, "Only a troop of lizardman chameleon soldiers would be better."

The debonair demon nodded.

"Mare, is there a way to conceal the Great Tomb of Nazarick?" Momonga asked the diminutive Dark Elf, who was the most powerful support Magic Caster in Nazarick.

"Umm…it would be hard to use just illusion spells…" Mare replied with a thoughtful expression on his face, "Any Magic Caster who can use 6th Tier spells could detect such a large illusion. If we cover the walls in dirt and conceal ourselves behind vegetation, however, we would only need to cover a relatively smaller area with illusions…"

"You would smear the glorious walls of Nazarick with dirt?!" Albedo snarled quietly.

"Enough, Albedo." Momonga rebuked her softly, "I am talking to Mare."

"My most humble apologies, Momonga-sama." the succubus said, bowing her head down once more.

"So mare, you believe that if we follow your suggestion, Nazarick would be concealed?" the Overlord asked, "Is it possible to do such a thing?"

"As long as you allow it, Momonga-sama, it will be done." Mare replied humbly, "However…"

"Indeed, a large mound in the middle of the grasslands would not blend in." Momonga nodded, "Sebas, were there any hills nearby?"

"Unfortunately not, Momonga-sama." the butler replied.

"What if we created a series of dummy hills?" Grandia suggested, "For a Druid of Mare's abilities, that ought to be easy."

Sebas considered that for a moment. "In which case, I believe that Nazarick would be concealed with ease."

"Very well. That is what shall be done then." Momonga said, "Mare, I leave the concealment of Nazarick and the creation of the dummy hills in your hands. Should you require resources to fulfil your mission, inform me and they shall be made available to you."

"Hai, Momonga-sama!" mare said with a bow of his head.

"Now then…Grandia-san, would you care to test yourself now?" Momonga asked.

A feral smile crossed the [High Daywalker's] face. "Very much so."

"Guardians, come to my side." Momonga instructed them "You are about to witness one of your Supreme Beings fight!"

The Guardians moved swiftly to stand near Momonga, even as Grandia leapt back nimbly to stand several meters away, he hands resting on her rapiers.

" **[Summon: Primal Earth Elemental]!** " Momonga commanded as he raised the [Staff of Ains Ooal Gown] up high. One jewel sparkled and glowed with an inner light as he called upon its power.

Erupting from the surface of the arena, a titan of rock stood, towering above Grandia. It had a bulky body, three heads and a long sinuous tail lashing behind it.

Grandia just grinned as her opponent loomed over her. She caressed the hilts of her weapons before drawing them. The rapier in her left hand had a glowing red blade surrounded by a crackling golden aura. The crossguard resembled a pair of spread bat wings, topped by a hexagonal piece of metal to protect the user's hand.

The rapier in her right hand was as black as a raven, with an aura around it of mixed black and white flames. It was a basket hilted weapon covered in runic script.

"The [Blade of Walachia] and [Sword of Balefire]." Cocytus rumbled, "Two of the most powerful rapier-type swords in YGGDRASIL. How did Grandia-sama acquire them?"

"She took the [Blade of Walachia] from the broken body of [Vlad Dracule], the most powerful [True Vampire] NPC outside of [Ains Ooal Gown]." Momonga replied, "The [Sword of Balefire] was her prize for defeating the [Fallen Paladin of the Dark God] during one of our raids on Jötunheimr."

Momonga raised the staff again. "[Primal Earth Elemental]! Attack Grandia Bloodragon!"

 **OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

 **Next Chapter: The Shadow Star Sisterhood**

 **OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: As you might have noticed, I have changed the title of this chapter. This is because I realised that aq couple of reviewers were absoilutely correct; I was rushing the story too much. The Battle of Carne Village is the next chapter. Enjoy.**

"Ains-sama!" - Regular Speech

' _Haaahh…so tiring!_ ' - Thoughts

{ _Message_ } - Telepathy

 **[The Goal of All Life is Death!]** \- Magic Spell/Skill

 **Chapter 3: The Shadow Star Sisterhood**

With a roar, the Primal Earth Elemental obeyed its summoner's command and lunged at Grandia with one large rocky hand. In response, Grandia merely stepped to the side, allowing the attack to miss her by the barest margin.

"Slow." she said with a feral grin, " _Far_ too slow. **[Skill: Sword Dance]**!"

The Vampiress' image blurred and then seemed to extend into a circle around the Earth Elemental, eventually becoming a circle of copies of Grandia.

"Grandia-sama chose **[Sword Dancer]** as one of her **[Job Classes]**?" Cocytus asked with interest as he leaned on his halberd.

"Indeed." Momonga nodded. The **[Sword Dance]** skill was unique to the **[Sword Dancer]** class and allowed the user to create speed clones that were indistinguishable from the original and could even attack once before dispelling.

" **[Skill: Fencer's Finest]!** "all of the Grandia clones snarled, a glow appearing around their bodies before they vanished. Before any of the guardians could say a word, they reappeared, facing away from the Primal Earth Elemental, which then bloomed with numerous cuts and stab wounds, some of which were on fire from the attacks made by the [Sword of Balefire] and its copies.

"Such speed…!" Demiurge breathed.

"Grandia had the ranking of the second fastest player in all of YGGDRASIL." Momonga informed the guardians, "Such a trifling attack is nothing to her."

As the clones vanished, the real Grandia turned about and retook her stance, calling at the monster, "Over here, big boy."

Immediately, it lashed out with its tail, the sinuous appendage being more deadly than it seemed with several thick spikes of rock jutting out at the end of it. Grandia leapt into the air, sailing over the deadly tail with such grace that even Momonga was taken aback.

When the mass of living rock roared and attempted to swat her out of the air with it arms, Grandia merely deployed the leathery bat-like wings that all Vampires possessed and fluttered out of range of the strike before diving in to strike very rapidly with both rapiers, dotting the surface of the earth elemental with rapid strikes from her weapons, demolishing one of the heads as she focused on it.

" **[Life Essence]** " Momonga muttered, his eye sockets glowing green as he observed the HP of the Primal Earth Elemental. Already, Grandia had reduced it by a third, which was impressive considering the low damage that rapiers were infamous for. Of course the fact she had taken **[Swordmaster]** , **[Fencer]** and **[Sword Dancer]** probably had something to do with it, the bonuses from maxing out the **[Fencer]** class alone added significantly to her physical attack with her chosen weapons.

"Momonga-sama?" Albedo asked.

"She's going to move to magic now." the Elder Lich told her.

" **[Maximise Magic: Shackles of Divine Air]**!" Grandia snarled as she pointed one sword at the elemental. Wind blew around her before exploding out and wrapping around the limbs of the struggling beast, trapping it in place.

She had never mastered anything like the usual amount of magic that a regular Magic Caster could use in YGGDRASIL. Instead, she had picked and chosen her magic to complement her fighting style, spells that either sped her up or immobilised her opponents, with a handful of offensive spells just in case. None were higher than Eighth Tier.

" **[Maximise Magic: Sword of the Wind God]**!" she continued, jabbing her other weapon at the Earth Elemental, prompting a blade of wind to fire from the tip and grow to twenty times its regular size before slamming into the chest of her target, creating a deep scar down the rocky surface.

" **[Summon Household]**!" Grandia commanded, her shadow on the arena floor darkening and spilling out her troop of vampire wolves and bats that then started attacking the earth elemental en-masse.

' _That's Job-class Skills, Magic and Racial skills she's tested._ ' Momonga thought, ' _I wonder if she's planning on testing out her crown…_ '

The crown, or more precisely, diadem, that Grandia wore was called the [Crown of Crimson Purgatory], a Divine-Class item that Grandia had made for herself. It was a greatly powerful item that increased the power of all of her vampiric abilities and skills. It also had the ability to use the Vampiric Skill **[Summon Greater Household]** once a day.

' _No…there's no need._ ' the Guildmaster of Ains Ooal Gown concluded, ' _Everything else seems to work and she might have tried an item while she was visiting the Shadow Star Sisterhood and seen that it works._ '

" **[Maximise Magic: Step of the Wind]**!" Grandia shouted as she landed and hid her wings again. Swirls of green wind kicked up around her feet and then she was gone into a blur that moved around the Primal Earth Elemental in a circle. Momonga, from past experience, knew that her delicate weapons were chipping away at every part of the elemental that they could reach. His spell, **[Life Essence]** , told him that the Primal Rock Elemental was down to almost its last drop of HP. Knowing Grandia; she'd back off and finish it off with a spectacular attack to impress the Floor Guardians.

Sure enough, Grandia leapt away and drew back the [Sword of Balefire].

" **[Skill: Flash of Steel]**!" the Vampiress snarled and vanished once again. An instant later, a chunk of the chest of the Primal Earth Elemental was missing, reducing its HP to zero. On the other side, Grandia gently touched down, jerking her sword from the mass of rock as big as Cocytus.

As the elemental crumbled and turned to dust, the vampiress examined her swords for any damage before twirling them around and sheathing them with the ease of long practice.

"So how'd I do, Momonga?" she asked as she strolled back to the Floor Guardians with an easy stride.

"As exceptional as ever." the Lich nodded his approval, "Was there any trouble with anything?"

' _Did everything work without trouble?_ ' was what he was actually asking and she knew it.

"Everything work much as it did in YGGDRASIL, Momonga." she reassured him with a nod, "I foresee no problems in utilising our magic and skills in this world."

"Grandia-sama!" Exia, the Guardian of her own creation, appeared next to her and, after giving her a once over, started to wag her tail, "That was magnificent!"

Grandia smiled gently at the Kobold, reached to her head and scratched at the base of her dog ears, making the tail wag faster and a pleased rumble emerge from the wolf-girl's throat. The other Guardians looked on jealously at the only one of them to have their Creator here with them.

"Sebas." Grandia said, "I have a message for you from Touch-Me."

"From Touch-Me-sama?!" the butler looked shocked.

"Yes. Do you want to hear it?" the Vampiress asked.

"If you would be so kind as to bestow my Creator's words upon me, I would be eternally grateful, Grandia-sama." the butler replied with a small bow.

"Very well." Grandia nodded, "His words are thus; ' _Sebas Tian, my strongest creation. I am sad that it is Grandia giving you these words rather than myself in person, but it means that events have overtaken me. I can no longer return to Nazarick due to events in the World I come from. I leave it to you to continue to protect the Ninth Floor. Additionally, remember this always: Justice never dies!_ '"

Sebas bowed solemnly. "My thanks, Grandia-sama. I have indeed received my creator Touch-Me-sama's message."

Momonga coughed, drawing their attention back to him. "Now that we have confirmed that both Grandia and I have not been reduced in power by any degree, it is up to all of you to test your own abilities. Mare will be a case of interest as he will be outside of the Great Tomb and casting his magic. Be aware as you cast to note anything unusual. Fluctuations in your MP, odd casting and cooldown times, that sort of thing."

"H-Hai, Momonga-sama." the cross-dressing Dark Elf nodded shyly.

"Very good." the Lich nodded, "Now, before we end this meeting, I have one final question for all of the Guardians…what are your opinions of Grandia and myself? Shalltear, we shall start with you."

The True Vampire looked between Grandia and Momonga for a moment. "Grandia-sama is the most powerful Vampire in all of YGGDRASIL! A true testament and example to the power our race can attain!" she expounded after a moment, "Momonga-sama is a crystallisation of beauty! The most beautiful person in this world!"

' _EH!?_ ' Grandia thought in disbelief, ' _Damn you, Peroronchino-san! You just copy-and-pasted a list of fetishes into her character settings, didn't you?!_ '

"Cocytus?"

"Grandia-sama is a warrior matched only by the other Supreme Beings and is a just leader." the Vermin Lord rumbled, "Momonga-sama is stronger than the Guardians and Grandia-sama, truly a man worthy to be the Absolute Ruler of the Great Tomb of Nazarick."

"Aura?"

"Grandia-sama is a decisive woman of action." the elder twin stated, "While Momonga-sama is a merciful leader who excels at foresight."

"Mare?"

"G-Grandia-sama is a considerate person." Mare stammered out, "A-And Momonga-sama is a very kind person!"

"Demiurge?"

"Grandia-sama is a ruthless tactician; one who gives her all to the defeat of her enemy." the demon replied, "Momonga-sama is a man who makes wise decisions and acts on them efficiently. A man who truly fits the word 'inscrutable.'"

"Sebas."

"Both of you are merciful leaders who stayed behind with us until the very end." the butler stated respectfully.

"Exia?"

"Grandia-sama is my creator, and the creator of the Shadow Star Sisterhood. A kind and caring mistress who refused to abandon us." the Kobold replied, still enjoying having her ears scratched by Grandia, "Momonga-sama is my mistress' trusted friend who has stood by her in this dark time."

"Lastly, Albedo."

"Grandia-sama is like a sister to me! A truly worthy ally of Momonga-sama!" the raven-haired succubus declared, "And Momonga-sama is the highest ranking Supreme Being and our ultimate master! As well as the man that I love!"

This made Momonga cough slightly, reminded of his meddling with Albedo's NPC Data. Grandia moved to his side, leaving Exia with one final pat on her head.

"We have indeed taken in your thoughts." he said uncomfortably, "Continue to work faithfully in our names!"

"Hai!" the Guardians replied with deep bows as the last two Supreme Beings of Ains Ooal Gown vanished using their rings.

 _With Grandia and Momonga, Conference Room_

"Haaahhh…so tiring…" Momonga leaned against the wall.

"Join the club." Grandia grumbled, standing next to her chair, "What was _with_ them?!"

"I know!" the Lich gesticulated wildly, "What the _hell_ is with their glorious views of us?!"

"Well to them we ARE their creators and gods." Grandia pointed out.

"Still!" Momonga sighed, "This is going to be a bit more precarious than I had anticipated. Now we have to act either all-knowing or precognitive in order to fulfil their expectations of us as leaders. If we don't, there's no telling what might happen."

"I agree with you to a point, but…" Grandia hesitated before continuing, "Momonga, we shouldn't forget that we are, for all intents and purposes, immortal now. You're an undead Lich and I'm an undying vampire. If we are truly in these bodies now, then any actions we take in this world could resound across centuries, even millennia that we have to endure through. What we have to do is remember who we once were. We can't let ourselves forget that."

Momonga looked at her for a moment. "Yes…of course, you are correct, Grandia-san. But at the same time, we do have to live up to the Guardian's expectations as leaders. Shalltear for certain. She is specifically built to take on fellow undead and necromancers with her [Pipette Lance] in [Bloody Valkyrie Mode]. If _she_ rebels against us, we might not stand much of a chance against her."

"She's in love with you, Momonga-san." the Vampiress pointed out, "Just like Albedo is."

"Don't remind me…" the Lich moaned as he facepalmed, "What did I do to attract her?!"

"Peroronchino-san is to blame…as always." Grandia stated mercilessly.

"Urgh…ahem. Anyway, could you tell me about the SSS?" Momonga coughed and redirected the conversation away from him, "I don't really know much about them."

"Sure. Have a seat." Grandia gestured as she sat at the table.

"The Shadow Star Sisterhood is divided into five groups, by specialties, although all of them are Level 70 at least and have the [Ninja] Job Class." the Vampiress said once the Lich sat at his own seat, "The [1st Star] specialises in stealth and reconnaissance. They are all beastmen of some description. The [2nd Star] specialise in combination attacks and teamwork. Working together, they can easily hold off a Level 100 fighter. All of them are Lesser Vampires. The [3rd Star] are infiltration experts. You need someone to go somewhere and find out their secrets? They are your best bet. Doppelgangers one and all. The [4th Star] are mid-to-long range support experts. From shuriken and bows to assault rifles and sniper rifles to magic, they'll shred the enemy before they can get close. Dark Elves and Automatons, mostly. Finally, the [5th Star] are the frontline combatants. Heavy assault and assassination are their strong points. Exia leads them personally and they are made up of various Heteromorphic races."

"That…how many are there altogether?" Momonga asked.

"Hmm…sixty, thereabout." Grandia mused, "I stopped making them when I heard the news about YGGDRASIL shutting down, so they're understrength. Fortunately, I still have [Reward Crystals] in my inventory."

"You have [Reward Crystals]?!" Momonga exclaimed, sitting up at that information, "How many?!"

"Enough to round the SSS up to a hundred members, plus three quarters of the amount needed to add a new floor to Nazarick." Grandia admitted, "I'd be happy to use the remaining amount to aid in protecting Nazarick."

"I am grateful, Grandia-san." Momonga said honestly, "For more than just your help. I honestly don't know what I'd do if it was just me by my self here."

"What're friends for, Momonga?" the Vampiress said with a smile, "Now, what are you planning? If I know you, you have a scheme in mind…"

The Guildmaster chuckled. "You know me too well. I'm hoping to explore this world, so the first thing I'll need it to dust off my [Mirror of Far Viewing] so I can at least look out into this world. Once I have determined what level of development this world is at, I can plan further."

"Hypothetically, what if the world is at a medieval setting and had adventurers?" Grandia prodded.

"I'd disguise myself as a warrior and act as an adventurer." Momonga replied, "Lone Magic Casters are rarely left unmolested and disguising myself in full-plate armour will be far easier than in robes."

"But…ah. You're going to use **[Create Greater Item]** to make a suit of armour that allows you to wield weapons." Grandia nodded, "Clever. You will be forced to take along a guard, just so you know. If not one of the Guardians, then one of the Pleiades."

"I'm Level 100." Momonga grumbled.

"You and I are the only masters that all of Nazarick has left." she reminded him, "The Guardians won't admit it, but they must be terrified of the thought of losing us. We don't even know if resurrection is possible in this world."

"Or if it is, if we still lose five levels as a death penalty." he agreed dourly, "The last thing we need is to get weaker than the Guardians. We will have to check that at some point. On a LV1 non-combat NPC. I don't like to risk the NPC's that everyone made, but if we have to risk something, it is better to use them."

"That can't be an easy decision to make, Momonga-san." Grandia said softly, "I doubt I could make it in your position."

"I think you could do better than you might think, Grandia-san." the Lich chuckled dryly, "Anyway…for the moment, you should get the SSS up to full strength. Their versatility might come in very useful."

The vampiress nodded. "Understood. If you need me for anything else, just **[Message]** me."

With that, she held up the [Ring of Ains Ooal Gown] and vanished in a teleport.

 _Back with the Floor Guardians_

 _Same time Momonga and Grandia left…_

"Th-that was really scary, Onee-chan!" Mare said timorously.

Aura, by contrast, was as upbeat as ever, "Yup! I was almost crushed by the pressure of their power!"

"To think they were of such a high calibre…!" Cocytus said in awe.

"So that is Momonga-sama when he truly reveals himself as our supreme leader!" Albedo said with a blush.

"So it would appear." Demiurge agreed as he adjusted his glasses. He glanced at Exia, who was still gazing off into the distance in a daze and added, "And it looks as though Exia-san is still ecstatic about Grandia-sama being present."

The Kobold stiffened at that and shook herself out of her lethargic pose, her ears going back in displeasure.

"And if your creator were here, Demiurge, would you not be equally elated?" she barked irritably.

The demon tilted his head, conceding that. "You have me there, Exia-san."

"Ne, ne, Exia-san!" Aura trotted up to the Kobold energetically, "Was Grandia-sama any different in private than she was with all of us?"

"No, not at all." Exia shook her head adamantly, "Grandia-sama has always been kind and honourable to all members of the Shadow Star Sisterhood. From what I can recall of her interactions with the other Supreme Beings who came to inspect us when we were being made, she was very popular with them, especially Bujin Takemikazuchi-sama and Touch-Me-sama. It was Bujin Takemikazuchi-sama and his tale of creating you, Cocytus-dono, that inspired her to create me and my name."

"Bujin Takemikazuchi-sama did?" the Vermin Lord asked with interest.

"Hai. You have access to twenty-one weapons, from that polearm to a sword gifted to you by your creator, correct?" Exia asked. Receiving a nod, she continued, "According to Grandia-sama, I'm named after a mighty warrior who uses seven swords. Grandia-sama based part of my fighting style on your own. I too have access to seven swords, all of them nihontō, ranging from standard katana, to kodachi, to wakizashi, to these two ninjatō I have on my back right now…[Dark Sirius] and [Lunar Crescent]."

"So you are a weapon master like Cocytus?" Demiurge asked curiously. He and his fellow guardians had had no real interaction with Exia before this moment due to the isolation that the SSS were under, so some curiosity was natural.

"I am a blitzkrieg/assassination specialist, Demiurge-san." Exia replied, "My skills can be very adaptable, from infiltration to full-on assault. I have many throwing weapons as well as the skill to utilise them, my skills as a Magic Caster are highly specialised, but effective. I have no real specialty, but I am fairly useful with weapons, yes."

"As interesting as this is, we must organise so we can follow the orders of our Supreme beings." Albedo interjected, "Shalltear? What is the matter?"

The True Vampire was hugging herself and trembling. "Grandia-sama and Momonga-sama were so powerful…I came!"

The other Guardians were silent at that, struck dumb by what the petite vampiress had said. Then, Albedo said very slowly.

"You slut."

"Haaaaah?!" Shalltear sneered back, "Our Supreme Ones gave us the gift of so much of their energy! Only a frigid bitch like you wouldn't react like I did, you muscle-bound gorilla!"

"You lamprey!" Albedo growled back. The two Guardians faced off and they started to exchange heated words.

"I was made to look like this by the Supreme Beings, you know!" Shalltear hissed.

"The same goes for me!" the succubus hissed back.

"Just what are they fighting over?" Exia asked Aura in an undertone.

"They're both in love with Momonga-sama." the Dark Elf whispered back, "Now they want to fight for him."

"Don't you want Momonga-sama yourself?" the Kobold asked.

Aura blushed. "W-well…I do, but…someone has to moderate between them! Look at Mare, Demiurge and Cocytus! They aren't going to be of use here!"

"I am not interested in Momonga-sama in that way." Exia told her, "So you can join in."

Albedo and Shalltear overheard her and whipped around to face the ninja Kobold in shock.

"How can you possibly not love Momonga-sama?!" they chorused as one.

"I was programmed to prefer women." the Kobold replied bluntly.

"Oh." Albedo said with a start, "So you will be Grandia-sama's consort?"

Exia flushed, visible only at her ears. "I…if that is Grandia-sama's will, then my body is hers. That is the personal wish of every member of the entire Sisterhood."

"Grandia-sama will no doubt take you into her bed, Exia." Shalltear assured the Kobold, "She was very reluctant to stop scratching your ears and she spoke of you affectionately, didn't she?"

"Hai." the shinobi nodded slightly, "Ahem. Anyway, Albedo-dono, Shalltear-dono, why are you both fighting?"

"We both love Momonga-sama…" the vampiress began.

"…and a man such as Momonga-sama is easily able to have more than one wife…" Albedo cut in.

"…so we're determining who will be the First Wife." Shalltear finished.

"Isn't it a bit…presumptuous to decide that for Momonga-sama?" Exia asked in shock, "You are attempting to tell one of our Supreme Beings what to do!"

Realisation and shame chased each other across the faces of the two female Guardians as they realised the truth of what the Kobold had said.

"Indeed…you are correct, Exia." Albedo sighed, "It _was_ presumptuous of us to do so. We shall petition Momonga-sama to decide once this crisis has passed."

"Albedo." Demiurge called from where he, Mare and Cocytus had been talking. Sebas had vanished somewhere at the start of Shalltear and Albedo's spat, probably to wait upon the Supreme Beings, "We should be getting on with Momonga-sama's directions. Please issue your orders."

The succubus nodded.

"I had better return to the Sisterhood and mobilise the [1st Star] to follow Grandia-sama's orders." Exia said and pointed a finger at where the portal she had used had appeared. With a burst of magic, it once again came forth.

"Is that the effect of a [Ring of Ains Ooal Gown]?!" Mare gasped.

"No, it is the effect of this [Ring of the Sisterhood] that Grandia-sama gave me." Exia corrected him, "It is far more limited than a [Ring of Ains Ooal Gown], but it does allow me to return to the [Sanctuary of Shadows] from any of the nine floors that we Guardians reside on. I bid you all farewell for the moment."

With that, the Kobold nodded cordially at her peers and stepped through the portal, vanishing from their sight. Albedo nodded and turned to the others.

They had a lot of work to do.

 **OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

 **Next Chapter: The Battle of Carne Village**

 **OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**


	4. Chapter 4

"Ains-sama!" - Regular Speech

' _Haaahh…so tiring!_ ' - Thoughts

{ _Message_ } - Telepathy

 **[The Goal of All Life is Death!]** \- Magic Spell/Skill

 **Chapter 4: The Battle of Carne Village**

 _Several Days Later_

 _Throne Room, Sanctum of Shadows, Great Tomb of Nazarick_

Grandia Bloodragon relaxed on her throne as she observed the large courtyard that was immediately in front of her. It was filled with one-hundred Heteromorphic NPC characters, kneeling to her in obeisance.

At the very front of the kneeling figures were six NPC's that were standing rather than kneeling, the officers of the small army at her command. Exia Shadowhound was one of them, obviously, bus so was her second in command of the [5th Star], Rowen Pierce, who was a female Oni.

The leader of the [1st Star], Artemis Faranger, was a fox-type beastwoman wearing camouflage-type clothing, as well as a dark green cloak, although she could change the pattern of both to suit wherever it was she was scouting. A long Japanese-style bow could be seen in her hand.

Alanna Bloodreaver, the leader of the [2nd Star], wore the basic outfit of the SSS, a kunoichi uniform, with her long silvery hair tied up in a bun at the back of her head. She carried a single long katana, the type referred to as a Nodachi, over one shoulder. Her ruby eyes gazed at Grandia with utmost respect.

Muse of the Goddess, the leader of the [3rd Star], was a Doppelganger. As such, she had no true original form, but took a form similar to Pandora's Actor, with long and dexterous fingers and a blank mask-like face with only a hole each for her eyes and mouth. She specialised in using concealed weaponry and short weapons, as well as poisons. She wore the standard kunoichi uniform as well.

Finally, ARI2 -4242564 Omega, the leader of the [4th Star], was an Automaton. With long black hair and a pair of blue eyes with targeting symbols in them, she was an expert at long range warfare, proven by the sniper rifle across her back. Her uniform was pretty much the same as the others and people just called her Arisu Omega for short.

"Rise." Grandia's voice echoed throughout the chamber, which was then filled by the sounds of a hundred Automatons, Doppelgangers, Lesser Vampires, Dark Elves, Beastmen and assorted other Heteromorphic races stood up from their kneeling position.

Grandia stood also, her tall form moving sinuously and gracefully as she paced up and down the dais that her throne sat upon, gazing at her troops in return. The last few days had been exhausting for her as she had built forty additional NPC's to round the SSS up to the level of strength they had been designed to be at. It turned out that, unlike Momonga, who didn't need to sleep, a Vampire, even a [High Daywalker], needed at least an hour's sleep every night to function properly, preferably four.

"My children!" she called out to the army before her as she halted before her throne, "I have returned! Now I have returned I shall not leave you ever again!"

The roaring cheer this brought from her army brought a smile to her face. After letting the roar of approval go on for a minute, she put her hand up, getting silence immediately.

"The Great Tomb of Nazarick has been teleported, somehow, to another world from Niflheim," she continued, "this much will be readily known by members of the [1st Star] who have been patrolling the area. We are now in a large grassland, in the middle of it, by all reckoning. Mare Bello Fiore, one of the Guardians of the Sixth Floor, has covered the walls in dirt and grass and created dummy hills around us, while several other Magic Casters have placed powerful illusion spells over the top of Nazarick to conceal us from above and from scrying.

"I am unsure as of this time what my friend, Momonga-san, has in store for us, but we will support him with all our might. You are all my strong right hand, the Shadow Star Sisterhood and we shall prevail…together!"

This time the roar made her ears reverberate.

 **OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

 _Momonga's Room, Ninth Floor_

The Elder Lich gazed at his bed in dumbfounded surprise that didn't show on his skeletal face. He put his hand to the side of his head. " **[Message]**."

{ _Momonga-san?_ } Grandia replied almost at once, { _Is there something the matter?_ }

"I need you to come to my room on the Ninth Floor at once." He told her, "I've found something…odd."

{ _On my way._ } The Vampiress replied before the link went down. The Elder Lich nodded as he lowered his hand. He wasn't known for being alarmed easily, being sent to other worlds and trapped inside his YGGDRASIL Avatar to one side, so if he needed to see someone on the double, his guild knew to go and see him.

Two minutes later, Grandia strode into the room in her usual attire and a curious look on her face.

"What have you found?" she asked Momonga, who pointed at the headboard of his bed with one bony hand. She peered at it before her jaw dropped.

Carved into it was the status section of Momonga's Console.

 **Name** **: Momonga**

 **Gender** **: Male**

 **Race** **: - Heteromorphic**

 **\- Overlord**

 **Rank** **: Guildmaster**

 **To Next Level** **: 398/240000**

 **Epithet (s)** **: - Lord of Undeath**

 **\- Supreme One**

 **\- Strongest Magic Caster**

 **Karma:** **Negative 500 (Extremely Evil)**

 **Total Level** **: 100/120**

 **Racial Levels** **: - Skeleton Mage (15)**

 **\- Elder Lich (10)**

 **\- Overlord (5)**

 **\- Supreme One (10)**

 **Job Levels** **: - Necromancer (10)**

 **\- Master of Death (10)**

 **\- Eclipse (5)**

 **\- Summoner (15)**

 **\- Master Necromancer (10)**

 **\- Death Sorcerer (10)**

 **Status Ranking**

 **HP** **: 60/100**

 **MP** **: (Exceeds Limit)**

 **Physical Attack** **: 35/100**

 **Physical Defence** **: 70/100**

 **Agility** **: 40/100**

 **Magical Attack** **: 90/100**

 **Magical Defence** **: 95/100**

 **Resistance** **: 95/100**

 **Special Ability** **: 100/100**

 **Total** **: 695+**

Grandia actually staggered into a chair at this. She looked between the Lich himself and his status before saying "Is this…for real?"

"As best I can tell, yes." Momonga replied, "That is what my status was the last time I checked it in YGGDRASIL…with one difference. I was Level 100 out of 100, now I'm Level 100 out of 120. Do you think this means what I _think_ it means?"

"We need more evidence first." Grandia demurred half-heartedly.

"Have you checked your room here since we arrived here? Momonga asked.

"No, I have alternate quarters in the Sanctum of Shadows and I've been busy building the Shadow Star Sisterhood up to scratch." The Vampiress answered with a thoughtful expression on her face, "Nothing like this was there."

"Let's go and investigate your own bed then." The Elder Lich said and strode out of the door, Grandia dogging his steps. Grandia had been the first member of the Ains Ooal Gown Guild other than the members of the Original Nine, so her room was just after Bukubukuchagama's room. Unlike Momonga's, which was pretty much only the bare essentials, Grandia's was decked out in deep reds and cream, with a wide bed…including an intricately carved headboard, with a new addition of a blank area that started to fill itself in as soon as Grandia walked into the room.

 **Name** **: Grandia Bloodragon**

 **Gender** **: Female**

 **Race** **: - Heteromorphic**

 **\- High-Daywalker Vampire**

 **Rank** **: Vice-Guildmaster**

 **To Next Level** **: 1754/240000**

 **Epithet(s) : - Slayer of Dracule**

 **\- The Vampiress who Conquered the Sun**

 **Karma : 100 (Neutral)**

 **Overall Level** **: 100/120**

 **Racial Levels** **: - Vampire (10)**

 **\- Vampire Princess (10)**

 **\- True Vampire (10)**

 **\- High-Daywalker (5)**

 **Job Class Levels** **: - Princess of Darkness (10)**

 **\- Blood Drinker (10)**

 **\- Fencer (15)**

 **\- Swordmaster (10)**

 **\- Armoured Mage (10)**

 **\- Sword Dancer (10)**

 **Status Ranking**

 **HP** **: 100**

 **MP** **: 56**

 **Physical Attack** **: 78**

 **Physical Defence** **: 71**

 **Agility** **: (Exceeds Limits)**

 **Magical Attack** **: 50**

 **Magical Defence** **: 65**

 **Resistance** **: 60**

 **Special Ability** **: 100**

 **Total** **: 680+**

"This…confirms it." Grandia said weakly, staring in disbelief at her own Status Console. Everything was exactly as she remembered it, aside from the experience bar and the level limit.

"Agreed." Momonga sounded excited, "Whoever trapped us here must have altered things so it was as if a new expansion added on to YGGDRASIL's programming! It means that even if we get killed and lose five levels as usual, we can regain them by accruing experience as normal!"

A slow smile spread across Grandia's face before it was replaced by a frown. "Why can't we access our Consoles normally then?"

"Because this _isn't_ a game." Momonga replied as he paced back and forth, "This is a _real world_. Someone, somewhere, has managed to materialise a digital environment, complete with Non-Player Characters and Players. Additionally, they bound our spirits to our Avatar bodies and actualised the personality settings of the NPC's. They aren't bits of data anymore; they're actual living (or unliving) beings! As our strength comes from our levels, those had to be included as well, but for whatever reason, they also allowed us the chance to become stronger still. It's entirely possible the offsetting counter to that is that we cannot assign status points and that we have to visit our rooms in order to view them or acquire new Job Classes."

"Wait, so the Attribute Points are going to be auto-assigned?" Grandia grimaced. She _hated_ it when games did that.

"Considering that we could be stuck here without the ability to level up or see our strengths, I find it to be an amicable compromise." Momonga pointed out reasonably.

"I…suppose." Grandia sighed, "How have you been getting on?"

"I still haven't found the Mirror of Remote Viewing." Momonga sighed in irritation, "I have Sebas searching for it as we speak. Once it is found, I'll learn how to use it and scout out our surroundings in more detail."

"That's good." The Vampiress replied with a grimace as her throat burned with thirst, "Look for some humans while you're out there; I'm really, _really_ thirsty."

"You mean you haven't drunk _any_ blood since coming here?!" the Lich sounded concerned.

"It isn't something that I absolutely _need_ to do." She defended, "A [High-Daywalker] only has to drink blood every fortnight or so and it hasn't been that long."

"True, but when was the last time you did drink blood?" The Guildmaster asked, "The last time you logged on was a month before the last day of YGGDRASIL. Did you drink any blood then?"

Grandia wracked her brains before nodding. "Yeah, a Wyvern's."

"That explains why the hunger pangs have only just manifested." Momonga muttered before turning around and heading out. One of his guild members needed him to find food and he was going to oblige her.

Grandia had mixed feelings about needing to drink blood and, more to the point, wanting it to be human blood in particular. [High-Daywalkers] were vampires who had mastered the uncontrolled bloodthirst that made [True Vampires] go berserk as they slew their enemies. As a consequence, they lost a bit of the power boost gained as they drank their enemy's blood, but the control side of things more than offset that ever so slight disadvantage, along with being almost immune to sunlight and silver and greatly resistant to [Holy] type attacks.

She was also aware of how her vampiric instincts viewed humans; as cattle, as a food source, as prey, as something so far beneath her that it wasn't funny. The main issue was that some part of the psyche that had been Satou Nayuta agreed with her new body's instincts on a practical level. She could tear her way through ordinary humans as if they were paper cut outs with her newfound strength that she had built in YGGDRASIL. She was the second-fastest player in the entire game, only outdone by someone with the Divine Equipment of two messenger gods. She was as high above a human as humans were above an ordinary ant.

Still, her mind was mostly human and she had no intention of losing to her body's urges. This meant she would have to start meditating every day. Her father had been a modestly skilled martial artist and had taught her the basics as a child. She hadn't practiced since becoming a wage-slave at a certain Japanese super corporation, something which she regretted. Still, it was like learning to ride a bike; you never forgot once you learned how.

Grandia would master her new vampiric instincts and make them work for her, not the other way around. She had been human for over twenty years; she would remain human in spirit as long as she could now that she was a vampire. Grandia the vampire and Nayuta the human would have to learn to coexist.

 _Later_

 _Momonga's Office, Ninth Floor, Great Tomb of Nazarick_

"Ah, so you finally found it." Grandia said as she entered the room to see her friend struggling with a large oval mirror that was floating above the coffee table. Next to him, Sebas Tian stood at the ready to carry out his master's commands. He bowed at Grandia as she entered.

"Yes. It turned out that Peroronchino-san played one of his little jokes on me by hiding the mirror in his sister's room instead of putting it in the throne room as I asked him." Momonga grumbled, "He was one of the last to really leave, so he hid it. Now that I come to think of it, several of my items went missing after he asked to have a look through my inventory and I haven't had time to find them yet. Sebas, kindly look for any items on the Ninth Floor that might have come from my inventory."

"At once, Momonga-sama." The butler bowed before vanishing in a blur. Moments later, he returned with an armful of items that had Momonga facepalming at the antics of his friend. Grandia just chuckled.

Once the Elder Lich returned his items to where they belonged, Grandia stood at his other shoulder as Momonga tried to figure out how to use the Mirror of Remote Viewing, a magic item that allowed the user to view any location they desired within the world it was used in. It had been of little use in YGGDRASIL due to the fact that many low-level spells and items could block it.

When they neglected to do that, however, it showed player levels and locations. Highly useful when used right. Momonga growled again as he barely made the image reflected on the glass twitch.

"Sorry for making you accompany me in this, Sebas." He said as he tried again.

"Not at all, Momonga-sama. The ever ready to act butler is how Touch-Me-sama created me. I stand ready to carry out your orders, Momonga-sama." The butler bowed.

"Very good…oh! I think I have it now." Momonga said eagerly. The mirror now showed a group of buildings with humans running in between them frantically. "What's this? A festival of some sort?"

"No, Momo0nga-sama…I believe that village is being plundered." Sebas said shortly, his eyes narrowing at the mirror. Touch-Me had despised the strong picking on the weak, which he had built into his personal creation.

Momonga magnified the image in time to see a man in a villager's tunic throw himself at an armoured knight while yelling at someone who was likely his daughter, probably telling her to run.

Grandia growled angrily when the knight merely reversed the grip he had on his sword and impaled the brave man in the back. "Momonga-san, I want to go there and drain those knights _dry_."

Momonga pondered that for a moment. Grandia _did_ need to feed and killing these knights would make a good test of how strong this world's human warriors were, but he was loath to move without having proper intelligence. Plus, he was slightly disturbed by how unaffected he was by the death he was seeing.

He caught sight of Sebas, awaiting his command and was strongly reminded of the time that Touch-Me had saved him from being PK'd for the hundredth time by a group of human players, back before Ains Ooal Gown, before the original Nine, when he was just Momonga, the Skeleton Mage. His words from that day struck him suddenly.

' _Saving people in trouble is always the right thing to do!_ '

"Yes…let us go then." Momonga stood up and addressed Sebas, "Have Albedo and Exia meet us there in full war regalia, Sebas. Grandia and I are going to punish the unjust. While we are away, raise the security level of Nazarick to maximum."

"By your command, Momonga-sama."

"Grandia, have some of your [1st Star] follow us and be ready to move at a moment's notice." He continued.

On the mirror the girl, dragging a much younger girl by her hand, was being chased into the forest by three knights. Grandia removed her [Ring of Ains Ooal Gown] and replaced it with another one she drew from her inventory.

"This is the [Ring of Loki's Mischief]." She told Momonga, "This is what it does."

After a moment of concentration, Grandia's form blurred until it wasn't the vampire Grandia Bloodragon standing before them, but an ordinary human woman with blond hair, creamy skin and sapphire blue eyes.

"I'd better change my clothes too. **[Create Greater Item]!** " Grandia commanded, her armour flickering as it was replaced by ordinary leather armour and a long red cape. Her two weapons were also replaced with ordinary looking rapiers.

"Let us go then." Momonga said as he summoned the [Staff of Ains Ooal Gown] to his side, " **[Gate]!** "

 _Same Time_

 _Carne Village Outskirts_

Enri Emmot didn't hesitate to throw herself in front of the sword that would have killed her sister, Nemu. She let out a cry of pain as the blade sliced open her back and collapsed to her knees, cradling Nemu in her arms.

"Enri…!" Nemu wept as she felt the blood flow down her sister's back.

The knight who cut her chuckled as he raised his blade again, to finish her off.

' _Nemu…I have to get Nemu out of here, if nothing else!_ ' Enri lamented as she closed her eyes and panted from the pain.

The blow she was expecting never came and Enri cracked an eye open before both of them flew open in shock.

A large purple rip in the air had appeared out of nowhere in front of her, which made the knights step back uneasily. Magic Casters were uncommon this far out on the borders of the Re-Estize Kingdom and not even the legends of the Eight Greed Kings or the Six Great Gods had tales of the likes of this.

Then, from the rip, what Enri could only describe as a horror emerged. An undead monstrosity, clad in billowing dark purple robes. It stood half-again taller than even the knights and its skeletal head and arms were all that could be seen of its actual body. In one hand, it clutched a large golden sceptre that radiated frightening power.

Then another being emerged from the rip and Enri felt her heart flutter. A woman emerged, impossibly beautiful, with long golden locks cascading down her back, her blue eyes raking over the scene with intelligence and discernment. She wore form-fitting leather armour, with a knee-length red cape fluttering behind her. At either side of her waist were two rapiers, obviously of high quality.

Both of these being exuded such power that the village girl though she was going to faint from it. She was trembling like a leaf and shifted herself so that Nemu was somewhat protected from both the mysterious beings and the knights, although she wasn't sure which to be more frightened of now.

The Lich reached out with its free hands and made a clenching gesture as it said, in a voice full of dread, " **[Grasp Heart]!** "

A pulsating muscle appeared in its hand and Enri quickly tucked her little sister's head away from the scene as she realised what it was planning to do. With a swift motion, it crushed the organ in its hand in explosion of blood and flesh. One of the knights gurgled and collapsed onto his back, dead.

' _Who…or what…is this?_ ' Enri had to wonder. Undead were all mindless monsters, as far as she was aware, that attacked the living with reckless abandon and fervour. Yet this Lich had deliberately ignored her in favour of one of the knights…

 _Grandia's POV_

As the knight collapsed, Grandia raised a mental eyebrow at how utterly indifferent she was to the death of a human by a 9th Tier Necromancy spell.

{ _Try not to kill them all, please Momonga-san._ } She sent through their telepathic link, { _I have to feed on some of them._ }

{ _I'll do my best._ } Was his reply, { _Huh…that was almost too easy to cast. Almost no resistance from him whatsoever. I'll lower the bar and try a 5_ _th_ _Tier Spell next. I didn't feel anything when I killed him._ }

{ _I felt the same._ } Grandia replied, { _Damn, that girl got cut badly. I'd say a potion will be needed to heal her._ }

{Later.} Momonga replied before moving forward to stand between the two cowering girls and the knights.

"M-Monster!" one knight shrieked in fear.

"What manner of man can so easily kill defenceless women and children, yet be to terrified to raise a hand against me?" Momonga asked rhetorically. Both he and Grandia knew the answer; a coward.

"Heeee!" the knight dropped his sword and shield, fleeing as fast as his armour would let him.

"I'll have you help me test my power, whether you like it or not!" Momonga's eyes glowed as he pointed a single finger at the fleeing knight, " **[Dragon Lightning]!** "

A single bolt of blue lightning erupted from his finger and lashed out at the knight, electrocuting him to death in less than ten seconds. As he collapsed, Grandia considered this.

{ _He can't have been any stronger than Level 10._ } She sent to Momonga, { _If that. Those girls have to be about Level 2 or 3, the older one at least._ }

{ _Agreed. Are you going to chase the other one?_ } Momonga replied.

{ _Two Minutes._ } She said as she rushed after him, leaving a blur in her wake. The third knight had bolted as soon as the other one had dropped his weapon and was a fair distance away by that point, but it took her less than twenty seconds to catch up with him. by luck or skill on his part, he swung around and chopped at her with his sword. To Grandia, he might as well have been standing still.

She batted the sword away with an impatient gesture of her hand and ripped his cuirass from his body before sinking her fangs into his neck and drinking deep. The human tried to pull her from him, but he might as well tried to lift a tonne of granite for all the good it did him. His struggles puttered off until he hung limply as she drained his body dry.

"That hit the spot." Grandia licked her lips as she savoured the taste of human for the first time in her life. Unlike the times she had sucked on a bleeding wound in her past human life, the taste of the human was rich and strong, energising her as it sated her thirst.

As she allowed the corpse of the human to drop to the ground, she pointed at it and said, " **[Create Lesser Vampire]!** "

The body twitched, writhed and then stood up, face pale and ruby eyes shining as he awaited her orders.

"Standby here. Kill any human wearing the same armour you are currently wearing." She ordered brusquely. Lesser Vampires were strong, but utterly stupid. Just in case it got any ideas, she added, "You are forbidden to leave this spot unless a target appears."

With that, she rushed back to Momonga, to see him stopping Albedo, fully clad in black armour, from killing the two girls with her battleaxe.

"OK, so what's happening here?" she sighed.

"Grandia-sama!" Exia, her ears concealed by the headband she now wore and her tail tucked away, blurred into existence before her, on one knee, "The humans are refusing our lord's generous gift!"

It took a moment to clear things up but Grandia eventually puzzled out that it was Momonga's bad word choice that caused the problem. Taking the potion, she kneeled next to the girls.

"Hello there. Sorry about Albedo; she's a bit…on edge." she said, "Might I know your name?"

"E…Enri. Enri Emmot." The older girl said shakily.

"Enri. This is a healing potion." Grandia held up the bottle full of red liquid, "That wound on your back could make you die of blood loss if you don't drink this. I swear on any god you care to name, that is all this will do, heal you."

"O…OK." Enri reached for the potion, unstoppered it and drank it down. The effect was instantaneous; the large, weeping wound on the girl's back glowed white and sealed shut. Enri's face, previously pale, became flushed with colour again as the potion restored the blood she had lost. Grandia also noted several scars and cuts on her arms fade away.

"Feels better, doesn't it?"

"Y-Yes…thank you." Enri looked startled at how well she felt.

Grandia nodded before noticing the missing corpse. "My lord, what happened to the dead knight?"

Momonga looked uncomfortable. "I tried to create a [Death Knight]. It worked, but used a dead body as a medium, unlike in our world. I ordered it to kill the knights and it just…ran off before I could do more than order it to not harm the villagers."

The vampiress felt like facepalming. What was the point of a shield monster if it didn't stay to shield the caster?! She hadn't had that problem with her [Lesser Vampire], but then, she had ordered it to remain stationary unless an enemy came within range first.

"Live and learn, my lord." She said aloud, "Might I suggest that we place protections on Miss Enri here and make haste to capture some knights before your [Death Knight] kills them all?"

"An excellent suggestion, Grandia." Momonga replied before turning to Enri, "Girl, do you know what magic is?"

"Yes." Enri nodded, "I have a f-friend who is a pharmacist. He practices magic."

"Perfect. I am also someone who practices magic, a Magic Caster if you will." Momonga said and raised his hand, " **[Anti-Life Cocoon]. [Wall of Protection from Arrows].** "

Two magic circles sprang up in front of his hand as the magic activated. Grandia nodded in approval of his choice in spells. [Anti-Life Cocoon] would prevent any living creature from coming near them to attack them up close, while [Wall of Protection from Arrows] would divert any missile weaponry or lesser magic from attacking them.

A green dome appeared around the girls, who gazed at it in awe.

"As long as you remain inside the dome, you will be safe from any of the scoundrels who have attacked your village." Momonga told them, "Just in case, take these."

He tossed a pair of small horns tied to leather loops to the two of them. "Should you be threatened by a powerful enemy, blow those [Horns of the Goblin General]. An army of goblins will be called forth to do your bidding. Do not hesitate to use them if needed."

' _Trash mobs, Momonga-san?!_ ' Grandia mentally tsukkomi'd at him, before realising that goblins would likely be more than enough to face any enemies the girls would face in this world, considering the relative weakness of the knights.

"Let us go, Grandia…we have knights to kill." Momonga said darkly, "Albedo, Exia, follow us."

""At once!"" the two NPC's replied.

"Wait!" Enri called out, making the Lich pause, "Thank you so much for saving us! We can never repay this favour."

She bowed deeply, her freed sister copying her.

{ _She's going to ask for your name, Momonga-san._ } Grandia sent, reading the girl's intent easily. It was common sense to ask for the name of your saviour in this situation.

{ _…my name…Grandia-san…I think that some of our guild mates might have been transported here as well._ } Momonga said telepathically as he said aloud, "It was nothing. Thanks are not needed."

{ _Momonga-san, there's no proof of that._ } Grandia said gently.

{ _Even if the chance is low, I have to try and find them!_ } The Lich argued back, { _I have to try, and how better to go about it than using the name they once stood under?_ }

Grandia understood then just how much Suzuki Satoru, Momonga, missed his guild mates. She knew that, outside of YGGDRASIL, he had no one; no parents, no lovers no friends, no acquaintances even. No one except the members of the PK Guild Ains Ooal Gown. She was much the same, as her family had died in a stupid traffic accident and she had drifted away from all her friends as a wage slave.

{ _Go ahead…Ains-sama._ } She said with a smile.

Momonga nodded.

"Can I know the name of the man who saved us this day?" Enri asked.

"You shall remember it well!" the Elder Lich declared as he spun around to face her, "And tell all of my powers! I am **Ains Ooal Gown**! In the past, there were none who did not know this name and so it shall be once again!"

 _Carne Village Proper_

With a chilling roar, the [Death Knight] lashed out with its sword, bisecting three knights horizontally in a spray of blood and visceral gore. Of the fifty man knight group, only ten were left. Most of those casualties were dealt by the [Death Knight], but Carne Village's inhabitants had accounted for at least five of those casualties.

' _Just more proof of how low-levelled these pathetic knight really are._ ' Grandia thought with a snort. She and the others were floating above the village using the [Fly] spell or [Amulets of Flight].

Momonga, or Ains as she supposed she should call him now, had placed a [Mask of Envy] over his skeletal face to hide it as well as wearing [Járngreipr], a type of strength enhancing gauntlet, to cover his hands.

"Cease, [Death Knight]!" he ordered, "You have served me well."

The undead knight lowered its sword and stood still at its creator's order.

"Now then…" Ains looked at the ten men in armour, who he doubted very much were actually knights. Real knights would be far more powerful. Bandits of some sort? Raiders of a different country? It didn't really matter. These men were dead men walking.

As he landed the disguised undead man continued to speak eloquently.

"You 'knights' who have slain so many of these villagers are left with a simple choice; put up your weapons and live at my mercy or continue to resist and die. You have seen the power of my [Death Knight]. Meagre fake knights such as yourselves are unworthy to become smears on its blade, but I will do so should you resist further. Well gentlemen? Your decision?"

"Go to hell!" one knight roared and charged right at Ains in a foolhardy charge.

Grandia landed on the ground in his path and impaled the man through the visor so quickly it was almost like teleportation. One minute he had been charging bravely forward, the next he was only held up by the rapier that skewered his head.

"He made his choice." She said blandly as she jerked her blade free, "What say the rest of you?"

To a man, the fake knights surrendered quietly.

 **OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

 **Next Chapter: Dominion Authority**

 **OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**


	5. Chapter 5

"Ains-sama!" - Regular Speech

' _Haaahh…so tiring!_ ' - Thoughts

{ _Message_ } - Telepathy

 **[The Goal of All Life is Death!]** \- Magic Spell/Skill

 **Chapter 5: Dominion Authority**

 _Several Hours After the Battle of Carne Village_

 _Makeshift Cemetery, Carne Village Outskirts_

In her life as a human, Grandia had come across the saying 'nothing except a battle lost can be half so melancholy as a battle won.' At the time, she had not understood what it meant, but standing in front of the mass of crudely carved crosses, each indicating a fallen villager, she understood it fully now.

Over fifty villagers, a full _third_ of the entire village, had been put to the sword by the 'knights' and their cowardly leader. He was still alive and had threatened fire things until Grandia used her [Mesmeric Eye] Racial Skill to shut him up.

Being a vampire, Grandia default-viewed humans as food and toys at best, pests at worst, but she fought off the feeling and put her human mind-set to the fore as she approached Enri and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder as she cried over the graves of her father and mother, her sister Nemu clutching onto her side and weeping as well.

"I am sorry for your loss." She said sincerely.

"Th-thank you." Enri sniffed, "It's just…it's just so _hard_ to cope with the fact that they're gone."

"I lost my parents to an accident when I was your age." Grandia said quietly, "It was devastating for me too, but I kept one thing in mind that helped me keep going."

"Wh-what was that?" Nemu asked with a dry sob.

"That while they might be gone, their love for me never left me." The vampiress said softly, "That it _never will_ disappear as long as I remember them and honour their memories. That, even now, they are watching over me from wherever one goes after death. It is a hollow comfort, but it does help."

Enri nodded slightly. "It…it does help, somewhat….thank you."

"You're welcome." Grandia said softly, "Now, I should go and stand guard over the remaining nine 'knights' so they don't get any ideas about trying to flee."

"C-can I ask you something?" Enri said with an uncertain look on her face.

"You just did." The disguised vampiress pointed out dryly, making the girl flush in embarrassment, "But yes, you may."

"I…Are you and Lord Ains…the same?"

Grandia sighed. As they had seen Momonga without the [Mask of Envy], they knew he was a Lich, so suspected that she wasn't human as well, her guise to one side. "Follow me."

Puzzled, the sisters followed her to their house, where Grandia shut the door and closed the curtains before removing a ring from her hand. Golden locks turned to silver, her skin paled to alabaster and her eyes turned from sapphire blue to ruby red.

"A v-v-v-v-vampire?!" Enri squeaked.

"Indeed. I am a vampire." The YGGDRASIL player agreed, "You suspected something like this because you saw Lord Ains' true form, did you not?"

"Y-Yes…but…why?" Enri asked in confusion, "Liches hate the living and hunt them down mercilessly, and vampires are bloodthirsty monsters that drain people dry! Ah! No offence!"

"None taken." Grandia smiled, "While I cannot speak for Lord Ains, I _can_ tell you about vampires. There are, generally speaking, five tiers of vampires, of which only three or four are known. At the bottom are vampiric familiars, animals who have been cursed with vampirism and serve humanoid vampires. Next are the so-called servant vampires, including Lesser Vampires, Vampire Brides and freshly turned Vampires. Third, and this is likely the limit of what humans know about, are the regular vampires, those who have aged over a century and have broken their bond with their creator. Fourth, you have what are referred to as the most dangerous kind of vampires, the True Vampires. They become intoxicated with blood, to the point that they become frenzied whenever they taste blood. Finally, you have the type of vampire that I am, the supreme class of vampire, the High Daywalker. I am immune to the sun and greatly resistant to all that might harm a lesser breed of vampire. I am also the closest to human in my mentality, as well as having absolute control over my need for blood, to a point. I only need to feed once every fourteen days and I…took my liberty with one of the cowards who attacked the village earlier today."

The realisation that they were in close proximity to one of the most powerful breeds of vampires made the sisters pale, but they didn't faint, which Grandia counted as a plus.

"But…that doesn't explain why you came here to save us." Enri managed to get out.

"Lord Ains and I are from a…different continent, where being inhuman in appearance didn't affect our minds." Grandia lied like a pro. She couldn't exactly say she was from another world now, could she? "Still, the discrimination against those who were not human or demi-human was…severe. We banded together in order to survive and eventually, our group became untouchable. A fanatic pro-human cult used a powerful spell and artefact combined to destroy our home…and the rest of the continent as well."

Enri gasped in horror.

"Lord Ains and I are, to the best of my knowledge, the only survivors aside from our servitors." The vampiress continued, "We arrived her not two days ago and were scrying the local area when we discovered your village being attacked, and we saw a man tackle a knight in full armour whilst shouting at his daughters to run."

The sister's eyes started to tear up as they realised who she was talking about.

"At that sight, we couldn't, simply _could not_ , just stand aside and do nothing." Grandia finished softly, "It reminded us too much of the life we had led before we came together, before we became united."

"Thank you!" Enri choked out, "If you hadn't come, my sister and I would be dead! Thank you so much."

"I am only sorry we could not save your father." The vampiress said sincerely as she slipped her ring back on, assuming her human form again, "I must ask that you not divulge Lord Ains' and mine appearances to others, as it would distress them unnecessarily."

"O-of course." Enri nodded, "We owe you both our lives, so this is the least we can do."

"Thank you." Grandia said with a small bow, "Now I really _had_ better go and guard the prisoners. Wouldn't want any grief-stricken relatives trying their hand at revenge before we have what we need out of them."

"What do you need?" little Nemu asked, confused.

"When dealing with attacks like this, the most important thing to do is to gather information." The older woman replied, "Who are they? Why attack this village in particular? Have they attacked other villages? Such are the questions they will be asked…and they _will_ answer."

With that, the disguised vampiress swept from the house, leaving the Emmot sisters to take that in, whilst she updated Ains on what she had told the sisters and why.

{ _That was quite the risk, Grandia._ } He scolded her via [Message], { _What if they had taken the revelation of your appearance adversely?_ }

{ _Then I would have used my_ [Mesmeric Eye] _to wipe their memories._ } She replied as she entered the barn where the nine remaining raiders were being kept, { _It was a calculated risk, Ains, and it paid off. They were already keeping quiet about what you are underneath your mask, so showing trust in them by revealing what I was beneath my own disguise made them extend that to me._ }

{ _Hmm. What news have your [1_ _st_ _Star] Scouts brought back?_ } He asked once he had time to digest that.

{ _Thus far, nothing of substance._ } she admitted, { _A few odd tracks, but they are inexperienced when it comes to this world; they do not know if horses and oxen are the main source of transport or some scaled lizard beast. They will inform me if they find something suspicious, though, which I will immediately relay to you. How about on your end?_ }

Evidently quite a lot had been discovered from the village chief. The armour the soldiers were wearing belonged to the country to the north-east of the Kingdom of Re-Estize, the Baharuth Empire. As they made war with the Kingdom every year, it was a passable ruse to adopt their colours for this raid, but the 'knights' were too weak to be career soldiers from the Empire.

Instead, the most likely source for the 'knights' to have come from was the Slane Theocracy, a theocratic nation that worshiped the 'Six Great Gods' who had appeared six-hundred years ago. The Theocracy was fervently human supremacist, despising even demi-human races such as beastkin, and had been known to act according to its own agenda, regardless of what people thought of them, to the point that while a lot of people disliked the Theocracy, they were seen as a necessary evil.

' _Much like the US in our world._ ' Grandia concluded.

Ains had additionally discovered that, while terms such as 'Magic Caster' were commonplace, the idea of 'levels' and 'experience points' were met with confusion. YGGDRASIL gold coins were highly pure, but the villagers had never seen it before, but it could be melted down and cast into bars which could then be sold, which was good news.

{ _What intrigues me are these 'Six Great Gods' and 'Eight Greed Kings' that seem to be gods and devils respectively in this world._ } Grandia said with a frown, { _They sound as if they could possibly have been YGGDRASIL Players. We need more information about them._ }

{ _Sadly, the information of an isolated village such as Carne isn't going to go much beyond what I've just told you._ } Ains said with a mental sigh, { _We will have to travel to the fortress city of E-Rantel in order to find out more about the world we now live in._ }

{ _Agreed. Should I start interrogating the prisoners now?_ } She asked, eying the trussed up 'knights' who were glaring at her in a mix of fear and loathing.

{ _Yes. Make certain that we have all pertinent information from them._ } The Guildmaster directed, { _We can then give them over to the villagers for justice._ }

{ _I'll get on it._ } She promised before ending the conversation. Closing the doors and covering the windows, she smirked at her soon-to-be victims, who felt cold ice go down their spines at the cold expression on the woman's face.

" **[Status Analysis]** " she whispered, looking at the person who had seemed to be the second in command.

 **Name:** **Londes Di Clamp**

 **Age:** **25**

 **Race:** **Human**

 **Affiliation:** **Slane Theocracy, Sunlight Scripture**

 **Rank:** **Knight-Sergeant**

 **HP:** **1256/1500**

 **MP:** **0/0**

 **Overall Level:** **23**

 **Racial Level:** **None**

 **Job Class Level:** **\- Swordsman (10)**

 **\- Knight (3)**

 **\- Mercenary (2)**

 **\- Sergeant (6)**

 **\- Martial Artist (1)**

 **\- Disciple of the Wind God (1)**

 **Karma:** **Neutral**

This was a surprise for Grandia; she hadn't expected that particular spell to work, as this wasn't YGGDRASIL and these people weren't NPC's or mobs. Still, this was highly useful information. There were a couple of the Job Classes that she was unfamiliar with, mainly [Martial Artist] and [Disciple of the Wind God], so she pressed them.

 **[Martial Artist]**

 **Allows the user to execute powerful physical attacks, defences and support moves. Requires [Any Warrior Class] (6) and [Knight] (2) in order to access.**

 **[Disciple of the Wind God]**

 **The user is an adherent to the God of the Wind of the Six Great Gods. Must be human in order to access.**

' _ **Again**_ _with these Six Great Gods._ ' The vampiress thought in irritation. She pulled herself away from her annoyance and turned her attention to the [Martial Arts] Job. It looked pretty damn good just from the basic outline, and as she had already maxed out the [Fencer] Job class, all she needed to do in order to receive it was to level up twice and take [Knight] both times in order to unlock it.

"So then… Londes Di Clamp." She said aloud, making the man in question jerk in surprise, "You are a member of the Sunlight Scripture of the Slane Theocracy, and yet you dress as a knight of the Baharuth Empire. Do tell me the reason why."

"I am under no obligation to answer your questions, woman, even if you were of the Theocracy!" He spat, "Let alone an unbeliever such as yourself!"

"Ah, a religious fanatic…how pedestrian." Grandia drawled as she slowly drew one of her rapiers, "You see, I come from another continent and I have never heard of these 'Six Great Gods' of which you speak. Illuminate me as to their greatness."

"Another…how foolish do you believe me to be?" Londes scoffed, "There is no other continent! And no one cannot have heard of the gods which we serve!"

"Humour me." The woman's voice hardened slightly, as, beneath her disguise, her eyes widened and emitted a pulse that made him open to suggestion from her.

His eyes dulled and he started to talk.

 _Later_

 _Outskirts of Carne Village_

Grandia and Ains walked next to each other as they both vocally discussed the defence of the village and mentally compared information that they had gained.

{ _…and that was all that they knew, Ains._ } Grandia finished, { _None of them knew who their target was, but just that it was someone high-up in the Re-Estize Kingdom's hierarchy. Presumably a strong knight or warrior noble of some sort._ }

{ _Hmm. Good work. You did erase their memories, correct?_ } Ains asked.

{ _Don't teach your grandmother to suck eggs._ } The vampiress snorted, { _Of course I did. That pathetic worm, Knight-Captain Belius, actually voided his bowls when I threatened him. What a coward._ }

{ _Agreed._ } the Lich nodded, { _Whoever the target is, they have likely drawn him out; three sacked villages in less than a week would certainly have any honourable knight chafing at the bit to discover the culprits. We should expect them soon._ }

Grandia nodded. If the Re-Estize Kingdom was anything like Feudal Europe, then a single village being burned wasn't anything to be worried about, but three within the span of seven days was of great concern, as the villages supplied grain and other produce to the fortress cities.

"Lord Ains, Lady Grandia." The village chief came up to them and bowed respectfully, "We cannot thank you enough for your aid in stopping the knights from wiping us out. Had you not intervened, we would all likely be dead."

"It was the right thing to do, Village Chief." Ains waved a hand casually, "If anything, we are sorry that we didn't arrive in time to save more lives."

"Such modesty. We really should have walls up, but our coffers are never plentiful enough to allow the expense." The man sighed, "Even a simple wooden palisade would have at least held them off for a while…"

A man came running over and stopped in front of the three of them, gasping for breath. "Ch-chief! Horsemen! Armed horsemen approach!"

Just then, Grandia received a **[Message]** from one of her scouts informing her of the same information, albeit in more detail. There were fifty armoured men on horseback approaching Carne village, although the armour was vastly different to the Baharuth Empire's. Rather than plate mail, they wore cuirass, gauntlets, faulds, leather boots with armour built into them and spaulders. Their leader was a powerfully built man with intense eyes and a short, well-maintained beard.

Mentally sending admonishments to her subordinates for not alerting her sooner, Grandia placed a hand on the hilt of one of her rapiers. "Well then, we shall just have to go and meet them then, shan't we?"

They were met at the location the horsemen seemed to be cantering towards by a group of volunteer soldiers from the men of the village, armed with weapons confiscated from the knights.

As the group of horsemen approached, Grandia observed the leader with her own eyes and was very impressed. His muscles were big, but not to the point of being large enough to slow him down in a fight and he held himself with the ease of an accomplished equestrian and had the aura of a commander about him.

"Hold!" Grandia shouted, drawing one of her weapons and pointing it at the incoming horsemen, "Identify yourselves. This village was recently attacked by raiders, so you will not pass without being confirmed as of the Re-Estize Kingdom."

Behind her, Ains lurked, ready to cast a spell at a moment's notice.

The leader nodded as he signalled his men to halt. "A wise precaution. I am the Warrior-Captain of the Re-Estize Kingdom, personal bodyguard of his majesty King Lanposa III and the leader of these men, Gazef Stronoff. I have been ordered by the king to hunt down the Imperial Knights who have been sacking villages along the border."

"Village Chief, is this man known to you?" Grandia called back.

"Y-Yes. Even out here on the fringes of the kingdom, the name of Gazef Stronoff is well known." The man replied, looking a bit awed at the Warrior-Captain.

"Very well." The disguised vampiress sheathed her weapon and stood aside, "Welcome to Carne Village. The raiders killed a third of the village before Lord Ains and I intervened. We also have some prisoners that you will be interested in."

A savage grin flew across Gazef's face at that. "My lady, kindly lead me to them."

 _Later_

 _Village Chief's Home_

Ains, Grandia, the Village Chief and Gazef stood around the table as the Warrior-Captain stewed at what he had found out from the 'knights'.

"Those…so-called knights…were sent to lure me out here." The man growled, "The worst part is that they have succeeded and I do not dare lead my men away, or else they will resume attacking villages simply out of spite. Damn the Slane Theocracy!"

"Warrior-Captain, can you think of a reason why the Theocracy would be after you?" Ains asked.

Gazef snorted. "The Theocracy helped to empower the Re-Estize kingdom before the nobility of the Kingdom became decadent and corrupt. It is likely that my death is intended to reduce the morale of the common fighting men of the small standing army that we possess, as well as the citizenry. That will allow the Baharuth Empire to conquer the Kingdom far easier than if I were to take the field against them."

"I find myself wishing something permanent to be done about the Slane Theocracy." Grandia growled, "Using such barbaric and dishonourable tactics is a disgrace to all concepts of honour."

"You are in good company then, my lady Grandia." The Warrior-Captain said with a sigh, "Sadly, I do not know when or where they might strike at next."

"I suspect the answer is 'here and now,' as I detect several dozen Magic Casters approaching Carne Village as we speak." Ains said with a frown as Grandia forwarded him a report from her scouts telling him that a group of Magic Casters was indeed approaching.

"What?!" Gazef barked, "Where?!"

Ains pointed out of a window and the rest peered out of it, seeing men dressed in black and grey robes approaching, with bright forms of light flying above them.

"So these are the Magic Casters of the Sunlight Scripture?" Grandia questioned Gazef.

"Yes. They are heartless exterminators who have wiped out countless Demi-human villages at the behest of the Dragon Kingdom." The Warrior-Captain growled, "It seems that they have even turned on their fellow humans now. Damn, if only I had my true equipment!"

"Your true equipment?" Ains queried.

"As the Strongest Warrior in the Kingdom, I am permitted to carry the Five Treasures of Re-Estize into battle." He explained, "The Amulet of Immortality, the Gauntlets of Endurance, the Guardian Armour, the Razor Edge and the Mantle of Succour. I would normally wear them on a mission of this importance, but the King was pressured into forbidding me from wearing them on this mission, as the nobles care not for what becomes of the commoners."

"It sounds as if you have some people working for the Slane Theocracy in your capital, Warrior-Captain." Ains said slowly, "Alternatively it could be the other way around…"

"I would assay that they are both using each other, with the Theocracy coming out ahead of the deal." The man snorted, "Let's see….about fifty Magic Casters…and half that of those Angels."

"I recognise those angels…they are called [Archangel Flames]." Grandia said with a frown.

"What can you tell me about them?" the Warrior-Captain asked intently.

"Well…the summoner must be proficient in Third Tier Magic in order to summon them." She started, "Their strength is somewhat linked to that of their summoner, so your men _might_ have an advantage there. Sadly, they are resistant against mundane physical attacks and that large four-winged angel floating behind the rest? _That_ is a [Principality Observation], a higher-ranked angel that increases the defence of all units within its line of sight as long as it remains stationary. If you were to send your men against them, then I guarantee that they will die."

Gazef sighed. "As I feared. Would be that I had some Magic Casters with me, but few deign to join the Warrior Troop and fewer still remain."

{ _Ains, having this man in our debt could be of vital importance._ } Grandia said urgently.

{ _You think so? It sounds as if his position at court is somewhat tenuous._ } The Lich said thoughtfully.

{ _If we send him back with prisoners and an unharmed troop, his position will be more secure and those who mocked him will be forced to back down, publically at least._ } She argued, { _This is my plan…_ }

Ains listened as she outlined it before nodding slowly. { _That sounds like a variation on my own plan, except more caring about casualties. You truly believe that this is a good idea?_ }

{ _Yes._ } Grandia said firmly.

{ _Then I shall make the opening move._ } He said before speaking aloud, "Warrior-Captain, I believe I may be of some assistance in this matter."

"Oh?"

"Grandia."

"Of course." The woman nodded before reaching behind her to pull several bottles of different coloured liquid from her pack; blue, brown, yellow and red.

"These are magic potions that increase your strength, constitution, speed and luck." Ains explained, "And if you are willing to hear me out, I have a plan that will be enough to deceive the enemy…"

 _Minutes Later_

 _With the Sunlight Scripture_

"Captain Nigun!"

Nigun Grid Liun, Captain of the Sunlight Scripture, paused in his thoughts as one of his men shouted his name.

"What is it?" he snapped. He had been thinking how to get revenge on the Adamantine Adventurer Group Blue Rose for giving him the scar on his face when he had been interrupted and he wasn't happy about it.

"The target is heading towards us on horseback!" the man said excitedly, "Completely alone!"

This perked his interest. Why would the ever-cautious Warrior-Captain charge out here alone, unless…ah.

' _So he figures that if he dies alone out here, we'll leave the villagers alone._ ' Nigun sneered, ' _Sadly for him, we have a 'no witnesses left alive' order, so that will not be happening. Well, better prepare a suitable welcoming committee for him._ '

"Prepare to attack!" he ordered, making the Magic Casters scramble to obey.

 _With Gazef_

The Warrior-Captain of the Re-Estize Kingdom had never felt full of so much energy and power, he recalled the potions he had drunk and the numerous spells cast upon him be Lady Grandia and Lord Ains.

 **[Shield Wall]**

 **[Lesser Strength]**

 **[Magic Ward: Holy]**

 **[Luck Up]**

 **[Wall of Protection from Arrows]**

 **[Enchant Blade: Keen Edge]**

 **[Paranormal Intuition]**

Those were the only ones he could remember, but there had been at least two more, maybe a third. He had seen Magic Casters before, but the variety of the spells the two had cast on him was astounding.

' _And Lady Grandia says she is no Magic Caster!_ ' he chuckled. She had to be capable of at least Third Tier Magic, if not the rarely-reached Fourth Tier. Lord Ains…now _there_ was a powerful one. He had to be a Sixth Tier Caster, a hidden rarity in the land.

He narrowed his eyes as he approached the Sunlight Scripture lines. There were slightly fewer of them than he had estimated but not by many. The number of [Archangel Flames], as Lady Grandia had called them, was spot on, however.

Each angel carried a fiery sword of holy energy in one and hovered in the air on fiery wings, their halo floating behind their heads. The blank expression on their red visors left a chill down Gazef's spine.

He drew the sword at his side. It was not Razor Edge, but it was the sword that had been with him for most of his career as a warrior before receiving the Treasure Sword. It had never failed him before now and, thanks to the magic cast on it by Lady Grandia, he knew it would not fail him now.

' _Remember, Warrior-Captain,_ ' he recalled Lady Grandia's final words to him before he set out, ' _Even with that enhancement on your blade, cutting apart an [Archangel Flame] will not be easy. Fight as if you had no tomorrow. Show the Sunlight Scripture_ _why_ _you are the strongest swordsman in the Re-Estize Kingdom._ '

His other hand clutched the small item Lord Ains had given him with the admonishment to keep it on him by any and all means. He didn't understand why he was to do so, but he had faith in the Magic Caster's plan.

Tucking the small idol-like object into his pouch, Gazef Stronoff kicked his horse from a canter into a full-blown gallop, roaring a war-cry at the top of his lungs as he charged the line of assassins.

" **[Martial Art: Body Enhancement]** ," he muttered, his body glowing yellow for an instant, " **[Martial Art: Possibility Sense]** , **[Martial Art: Sense Weakness]**."

One raised his hand and a blue magic circle appeared. The next thing he knew, Gazef was being sent flying from his rearing horse. Must have been the Second Tier Spell **[Riot Mount]**. He flipped and landed on his feet with surprising agility for a man weighed down with armour.

Almost immediately, an [Archangel Flame] swooped down at him, seeking to impale him with its sword of light.

" **[Martial Art: Focus Battle Aura]!** " he roared, his blade turning red as he leapt forwards at a speed that the angelic monster had no way of seeing, let alone reacting to. With one mighty cleave of his blade, Gazef bisected the [Archangel Flame] from head to groin, the monster dispersing into light.

"Hmmm…is that it? Is that the strength of your so-called 'holy messengers'?!" he shouted as he raised his blade, "I am not impressed!"

Once more, he charged forwards, aiming towards the only man in the entire unit not wearing a mask or helmet. That kind of hubris meant he almost _had_ to be the commander. He had pale blue eyes, closely-cropped blond hair and had a vertical scar running down his left cheek.

Four more angels dive-bombed him at once and he saw red. "Out of my way! **[Martial Art: Six-Fold Slash of Light]**!"

Bringing his sword down in a vertical slash, he caused six blades of light to appear and cut through the attacking monsters, destroying them, even as more started to pile in.

" **[Instant Counter]!** " Gazef yelled immediately, his arms swinging his blade without his mind ordering it to slice through yet another [Archangel Flame] before he leapt into the air and shouted, " **[Flow Acceleration]!** "

Spinning like a top, three more were sliced to pieces, dissolving as he fell, landing heavily on the ground. Ordinarily, he would be somewhat winded by this exertion, but thanks to the potions he had taken, he was still as fresh as a daisy.

"That was rather impressive, Gazef Stronoff." The presumptive leader of the Scripture sneered at him, "To have mastered so many offence-oriented Martial Arts skills is truly impressive, but it isn't enough! Summon the next wave of angels and focus all magical attacks on him! In my, Nigun's name, slay him!"

"'Not enough', is it? We shall see if it is enough when I cleave your head from your shoulders, Captain of the Sunlight Scripture!" Gazef barked back, " **[Martial Art: Full Throttle]!** "

His body glowed red and he leapt forwards, his speed even faster than before as he sliced at the commander of the unit which had victimised Demi-humans and his country for far too long. An [Archangel Flame] attempted to intercept him, but the Warrior-Captain cut through it without even pausing.

" **[Magic Shield]!** " Nigun shrieked, creating a grey shield in front of him to stop Gazef from striking him.

The Warrior-Captain lashed out in a fury, his blade moving so fast it was a blur. **[Full Throttle]** allowed him to double his current speed for a while and he was still under the effect of **[Body Enhancement]** , as well as the speed potion, so it was a significant boost. Bit by bit, he carved the shield into shreds, until the wide-eyed captain of the Sunlight Scripture was vulnerable before him.

" **[Shockwave]!** "

" **[Holy Ray]!** "

Two voices to the side shouted out spells that struck him, sending Gazef flying. He rolled over the ground before flipping nimbly to his feet, unharmed. Thanks to the **[Shield Wall]** , **[Wall of Protection from Arrows]** and **[Magic Ward: Holy]** that his two allies had cast on him, that had barely been a love tap. All the damage he had received was just a slight scuff on his armour.

"Kill him!" Nigun screamed, "KILL HIM!"

And so the battle raged on, the Magic Casters coming to drive back Gazef through sheer weight of numbers, along with more [Archangel Flames]. It was somewhat irritating for the Warrior-Captain that no matter how many he slew, more would just take their places. Cowardly, distasteful but effective tactics indeed.

Eventually, Gazef fell to one knee and spat out a mouthful of blood. His magical protections had run out and he was not truly exhausted. His armour was beaten, battered and broken in places and his blade was notched in two places. Still, this was the best he had fought in his life and he had managed to slay several of the Magic Casters that had been spawning the [Archangel Flames], so that was something at least.

"Wh…what kind of unholy monster _are_ you?!" Nigun demanded, pasty-faced, "You are bereft of your best equipment and are alone, yet…how?! How were you able to fight like that?!"

The Warrior-Captain managed a smug grin. "Heh…having powerful Magic Caster allies helps…allow me to give you a warning, dog of the Slane Theocracy…you may have defeated me, however…there are _two_ people in that village whose strength exceeds my own!"

"Silence! You will die here and the villagers you are so desperate to protect will die along with you!" Nigun raged.

"Captain Nigun!" one of his subordinates shouted, pointing at Gazef urgently, "Look!"

Confused, Gazef looked down and saw that his body was glowing silver. When he looked up, he was in a house, surrounded by his wide-eyed men.

"Warrior-Captain!"

"Are you alright?!"

"Here, sir, drink this potion!" his second-in-command thrust a deep-red coloured potion into his hand, "Lady Grandia said it would heal your wounds!"

Trusting in that, he gulped it down and was astonished to feel better almost immediately. His wounds closed up and he felt…relaxed, for lack of a better term.

He tried to get up but ended up on one knee instead.

"Easy there sir." His second said firmly, "Lady Grandia _also_ told me that it would do nothing to restore your stamina. She said that she and Lord Ains would handle the murdering scum out there for you."

"Heh…" the exhausted Warrior-Captain chuckled weakly, "Then…may the Four Gods…have mercy on them…for Lord Ains and Lady Grandia…shall have none."

With that, the exhausted man retreated into blissful unconsciousness.

 _With Grandia._

Her cape flapping in the wind, Grandia Bloodragon stared down the incensed man who was presumably the leader of the Sunlight Scripture. Next to her, Ains stood casually, not worried in the slightest about their enemies. Behind him, Albedo stood, clad in her black full-plate armour, just as Exia stood behind Grandia.

She had been watching Gazef fight and was very, very impressed by his exhibition of Martial Arts skills. They were not necessarily stronger than Skills were, but they were certainly incredibly useful in a fight. She estimated that Gazef would be a warrior in the mid-forties level-wise, and that the addition of his [Martial Arts] skills to that would likely allow him to fight somewhat on par with her for a while, if he wore his fancy equipment.

She quickly assessed the field and saw that, of the forty-five men (Leader to one side) in the Sunlight Scripture, five had been slain outright and several others were badly wounded. Including the thirty-two [Archangel Flames] that Gazef had destroyed, that added up to a heck of a lot of experience points for him. She wondered if he had levelled up.

"You…who are you?!" the man in charge of the enemies snapped.

"Good day to you, people of the Slane Theocracy." The disguised Lich said politely, "My name is Ains Ooal Gown, but you may call me Ains. My charming companion here is Grandia Bloodragon."

The Sunlight Scripture Magic Casters shivered as they felt something…off…about him.

"I have a bit of a relationship with that village back there." He continued.

"Have you come to beg for the lives of the villagers?" the man sneered.

"Far from it…Nigun Gird Liun." Grandia said, having muttered **[Appraise Being]** under her breath while Ains was talking, "The numerous villages you have sacrificed on the altar of your bigotry speak for any mercy you might have."

"Just so." Ains agreed pleasantly, "We were using magic to listen in on your little conversation with the Warrior-Captain. I must say, you certainly have some balls, little man. We went out of our way to save that village and _you_ wish to _raze_ it? I certainly cannot think of something more offensive to me at this point. What say you, Grandia?"

"I couldn't agree more." She answered her friend with a savage grin, "A gentleman does not make a lady's hard work go to waste. Exia, Albedo? What say you?"

"If it is the will of our Supreme beings that the village of lesser lifeforms live, then it shall be so." Albedo said swiftly.

"Your will is my own, Lady Grandia." Exia said with a nod, "And your will shall be done."

"Offensive is it?!" Nigun snarled, too angry to worry about why the woman knew his name, "Big words for a lone Magic Caster against over thirty-to-one odds! Plus three mere women against all these angels! Do _enlighten_ me as to what you intend to _do_ about it?!"

"Offer your lives to me without resistance." Ains said simply, "If you do so, I can promise you will be well treated."

"This is a limited time offer, so you had better decide." Grandia added smugly, "Conversely, refuse and you will suffer before you die."

The vein popping up on Nigun's head couldn't be healthy. "Angels, attack them!"

Two [Archangel Flames] apiece charged at Ains and Grandia, the former seemingly being skewered, while the latter being concealed by their bodies.

"Hah. That's the just deserts for bluffing!" Nigun sneered before looking closely at the scene before him. The angels were shaking, struggling to get away…why?

"I believe I said 'without resistance'." Ains said simply, making Nigun's eyes widen at the fact he was still alive, "You really should listen to the warnings of others more carefully."

"What the-?!"

"This can't be real! He stopped two angel attacks simultaneously!"

" **[High-Tiered Physical Nullification]**. A passive skill that nullifies the physical attacks of low-level weapons and monsters." The Magic Caster remarked before grabbing the heads of the [Archangel Flames] and slamming them down to the ground, destroying them instantly.

"Captain Nigun! The woman!" one shouted.

Nigun turned to see the seemingly delicate blond-haired woman holding the angels off, with _one finger each_ , the tip of her finger stopping the thrust of the swords easily.

"In my case, **[High-Tiered Holy Resistance]** means that these low-level trash angels cannot so much as scratch me with their meagre holy power." She informed the stunned Sunlight Scripture before lightly pushing the angels back and slamming her fist into each of them, dispersing them into motes of light even as they were flung into the air like broken rag dolls.

' _What…what kind of monsters am I dealing with here?_ ' Nigun thought numbly, ' _First Gazef, now these two!_ '

"While I am interested in learning how you are able to use the same magic and summon the same monsters as in YGGDRASIL, I will put it to one side for the moment." Ains said as he straightened up, "Albedo, Exia, Grandia, move away. It's my turn. Here I go…it'll be a massacre!"

"Divide the angels in two!" Nigun shouted, "Half at the Caster, half at the woman!"

As Grandia and the two NPC's jumped out of his range, Ains chose his spell carefully. He didn't want to kill steal, after all.

" **[Negative Burst]!** "

A dome of black negative energy exploded out of around him, annihilating the attacking angels in an instant.

" **[Skill: Maze of Steel]!** " Grandia declared, drawing one rapier. Her arm blurred as the angels drew close to her and they all vanished in an explosion of motes of light. Casually sheathing the weapon, she shrugged.

{ _Just as easy as it would have been back in YGGDRASIL._ } She remarked to Ains.

{ _Quite. Let us see what else he has up his sleeve._ } Her friend said.

The Sunlight Scripture were, to put it bluntly, gobsmacked. Over thirty angels, wiped out in mere seconds, one set by a powerful spell they had never even heard of before and the other set by a physical attack that was unlike any Martial Art any of them had ever heard of.

"Impossible…" Nigun breathed in disbelief. He recalled Gazef's words, that two people in the village of Carne were stronger than him. He had taken it as a bluff at first, but this…this was proof that, if anything, he had been understating things!

" **[Holy Ray]!** "

" **[Shockwave]!** "

" **[Poison]!** "

" **[Rain of Fire]!** "

" **[Confusion]!** "

" **[Charge of Stalagmite]!** "

" **[Open Wounds]!** "

" **[Fire]!** "

" **[Word of Curse]!** "

" **[Blindness]!** "

As the Magic Casters attacked using basic magic attacks, both Ains and Grandia stood still, not even bothering to dodge or block them. In Ains' case, he had a high enough Magic Defence that the spells simply couldn't harm him, as they were all Second or Third Tier magics, from fairly weak Magic Casters to boot. The effects of the offensive ones washed off him like melting ice and the rest didn't effect undead.

In Grandia's case, she had swapped out all of her Divine-class equipment for ones she had made using **[Create Greater Item]** , which had a number of effects that, while not as powerful as that of her true equipment, was still more than enough to protect her greatly from the offensive spells arcing out at her. As with Ains, she was an undead, meaning most of the other spells didn't work on her.

"All of these are spells from YGGDRASIL, Lord Ains." Grandia spoke aloud.

"Hm. Indeed. Where did you learn these spells?!" Ains demanded.

"Heeee!" one Magic Caster abandoned spells altogether and shot at Ains with a slingshot in a panic.

Just before it reached its target, a black blur sped in front of Ains and the pebble as ricocheted back at its firer at even greater speeds, smashing his head open like a watermelon.

"What…what just happened here?" Nigun asked in confusion as the headless corpse dropped to the ground, fountaining blood like a geyser.

As Ains and Albedo conversed, Grandia sighed. Albedo had used one of the skills from a Job Class, [Shield Lord's] **[Missile Reflection]** skill. Like the name suggests, the class focusses on defence, raising physical defence by a large margin, but it also allowed the user to act as a shield for other people. Combining the **[Body Shield]** skill with **[Missile Reflection]** had allowed Albedo to interpose herself in front of Ains and fire the pebble back at its originator, dealing double damage with a high chance of a critical hit.

"Captain Nigun, nothing we do is working! What are your orders?!" one Magic Caster yelled almost hysterically. They were used to having the upper hand, sitting back and watching their angels cut their foes to pieces and perhaps summoning another few angels if the enemy were particularly skilled. Now the boot was on the other foot, and they didn't like it at all.

"[Principality Observation]! Get them!" Nigun ordered. There was no point in keeping the angel sitting there with no units to use its passive effect on.

The Third Sphere Angel clasped its hands before it and summoned its weapon, a large mace glowing with holy energy, and floated forward, towards Ains. Rearing back, it brought its weapon down in a might swing.

Ains simply reached up and blocked it, his **[High-Tiered Physical Nullification]** working on the slightly more powerful angel as well.

"These lower lifeforms are starting to rouse my anger with their attacks towards you and Lord Ains, my lady." Exia said in a low growl.

"Patience, little one." Grandia whispered back, "Ains and I are enjoying ourselves. There should be nothing these fools can do to harm us, so let us play with our prey."

"As you will it." The Kobold bowed slightly.

"Dear oh dear." Ains said in an almost bored fashion, "I _suppose_ I had better retaliate."

Raising one finger on his free hand and pointing it at the angel, he said, " **[Hell Flame].** "

A small ember of black fire appeared and floated towards the angel. As soon as it touched the [Principality Observation], the flame grew instantly to cover the body of the angel and consuming it in seconds before vanishing.

" _In…one…hit?!_ " Nigun stammered in disbelief, "Impossible! A high-level angel can't be killed by a single spell! It isn't possible!"

"Sir…?!" one man asked fearfully.

The scar-faced man thought for a moment before reaching inside his tunic and bringing out an azure-blue crystal the size of two large clenched fists. "We'll summon the highest-level of angel!"

At this, both Ains and Grandia tensed. The highest level of angel was the [Seraph Empyrean], a being so powerful at Level 100 that both of them would have to fight all-out in order to win. Even if it wasn't that, the other two angels of the First Sphere, the [Seraph Aesphere] and the [Cherubim Gatekeeper] were strong enough in their own right to be troublesome opponents.

{ _Ains, that crystal he's holding…_ } Grandia said worryingly.

{ _Yes…it's a sealing crystal that can have any spell other than Over-rank Magic sealed within it._ } The Lich replied calmly, { _To think they have items from YGGDRASIL as well…put your guard up. If it is a Seraph-class angel, we will attack as soon as it is summoned._ }

"Albedo, use your skill and protect me." He ordered the succubus, who moved to obey at once.

"Exia, get ready for combat." Grandia ordered tensely. The kunoichi raised her hands to clasp the hilts of her weapons as she awaited her mistress' order to attack.

During this time, the glow of the crystal had grown steadily until it was almost blinding with its light.

"Now, behold the shining form of the highest class of angels!" Nigun smiled fanatically, " **DOMINION AUTHORITY!** "

Both Grandia and Ains' brains blanked at that. Like, _what?_

A grand appearance formed before them. Several pairs of wings wrapped around it as a heavenly scent was emitted. A long tablet shaped like a stave was clutched in its two hands and a great holy seal covered its face.

"So…this angel is your greatest trump card?" Ains said in disbelief.

Grandia waved Exia back out of combat readiness. Seriously? A [Dominion Authority], while definitely a step up from the previous two angels, was still only about level 40-50 at best. She could kill it with a single attack, as could Ains. Sure, it could hurt them, but not to a debilitating or even remotely serious degree.

"Indeed! I have deemed you worthy of using the treasure of the Wind God on you!" Nigun said proudly.

"I am speechless." Ains said, facepalming lightly.

"You say this is a treasure from the Wind God?" Grandia asked carefully as she walked over to stand next to Ains, "Is it perhaps something that he left behind when he ascended?"

"Just so!" the Sunlight Scripture Captain agreed, "Rarely is it used due to its status as a relic, but this mission is critical enough to have it deployed. If you are both afraid, it cannot be helped! Before the might of one of my God's servants, you cannot help but tremble!"

"This situation is ridiculous." Ains said as he removed his hand and glared at Nigun through his [Mask of Envy], "To think I was on guard against such child's play…"

"Wha…what do you…?" Nigun stammered.

"Allow me to educate you, fool." Grandia said coldly, "There are three Spheres of Angels, each denoting a degree of power. At the bottom is the Third Sphere, the Heavenly Messengers, where [Archangel Flames] and the [Principality Observation] are ranks. Next is the Second Sphere, the Heavenly Governors, where the [Dominion Authority] is ranked. While more powerful than the Third Sphere, it is _not_ the highest rank. At the top is the First Sphere, the Heavenly Counsellors, which holds the most powerful angels. What you have there is a child's toy compared to their power!"

"A…the holy relic…child's toy…?" Nigun's eyes were twitching like fury as his rage warred with his fear, "No…you're bluffing! You must be! [Dominion Authority]! Use **[Holy Smite]!** "

At its master's command, the tablet shattered and turned into a golden ring that surrounded it as it charged up the spell.

"This is a Seventh Tier spell that was used to slay a Demon Lord!" Nigun sneered, but he was full of fear, so it made him appear desperate instead of arrogant, "This is power beyond what humans can achieve or fight against! Taste the power of god, unbelievers!"

In a flash of bluish-white light, both Ains and Grandia were engulfed in a pillar made of heavily concentrated holy magic. The vampiress stumbled and felt her HP drop for the first time since she came to this new world. She actually felt pain as well. Ordinarily, she disliked pain, but there was something about _this_ pain that was exciting. She confirmed that she wasn't invulnerable, that she could be hurt by sufficient amounts of force.

Unconsciously, she started to chuckle, then burst into explosive laughter, even as Ains did the same.

"Ha…HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" he laughed, "So this is what it feels like to take damage! This is actual _pain_!"

"Indeed…it's been so long…" Grandia said as she rotated her head as if getting a crick out of it.

At this, Albedo and Exia exploded with rage.

" **YOU LOWER LIFEFORMS!** " The Guardian Supervisor screamed, a massive wave of negative energy rising around her.

"You….shall _pay_ …!" Exia seethed, the shadow of a large wolf-like creature standing on its hind legs appeared behind her, blue eyes glowing with rage, "You _dare_ harm my mistress?! You _dare_ harm **a Supreme One**?! Your lives are forfeit for this action, human scum!"

"You hurt Lord Ains! You hurt Lady Grandia! My love and my sister!" Albedo wailed in fury, "Know your place, you trash!"

"Albedo, Exia, calm yourselves!" Grandia ordered.

"Quite." Ains moved forward and placed a hand on Albedo's armoured shoulder, "It's fine Albedo. Aside from the unexpected weakness of the angels, everything is moving according to my plan."

"Should I deal with this pathetic excuse for an opponent?" Grandia asked.

Ains shook his head. "It will be quicker if I do it. **[Black Hole]!** "

As he reached out one hand, a black sphere the size of a basketball appeared in mid-air between him and the [Dominion Authority]. Although it tried to resist, the mid-level angel was dragged into the small gravity sphere and vanished in a white explosion.

Nigun was too far gone to do more than whisper, "A power that exceeds Demon Lords…who…what _are_ you?!"

"Ains Ooal Gown." The disguised Lich said solemnly, "In the past, there were none who did not know this name."

"And so it shall be once again." Grandia added, "Now…what should we do with you…?"

The Sunlight Scripture gulped, to a man.

 **OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

 **Next Chapter: The Legend of Ains Ooal Gown**

 **OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**


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